


Vines that you can't burn away

by Itachifangirl185



Category: Naruto, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Age Difference, Character Development, Death of a loved one, Drabbles, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Love Triangles, Manipulation, Older Man/Younger Woman, Overcoming Trauma, Self-Esteem Issues, Snippets, The lesser of evils, Toxic Relationships, Yandere, hero and sidekick, past trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2019-09-13 06:02:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 40
Words: 48,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16886982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Itachifangirl185/pseuds/Itachifangirl185
Summary: Sakura Haruno is an uprising pro-hero acclaimed for her healing quirk that can also be used for defense or offense. Follow the journey told in little snippets about recovery, grief, and becoming a better person. Rated M for future scenes and themes.





	1. Contracts and letters

Support quirk demand was high, especially for healing quirks. Self-regeneration was highly uncommon among those birthed within a household with a parent of said quirk. Regenerating others was the most sought after, if two parents with a self-regenerating quirk had a baby that child would have a .30% chance at acquiring it. The chances for regenerating others was even lower percentile. This is why UA had Recovery Girl. Almost all those with regeneration quirks are not gifted with offensive or even defensive capabilities. However, rising pro hero Medicinal Snare was that miracle. Her record stated she sprouted vines from her earlobes at the ripe age of five, her mother and father did not know what to do since their quirks weren’t even close to her blooming power. School record dictates at age seven fellow classmate Naruto Uzumaki scraped his knee during recess and her vines began sprouting buds that released green apple colored spores into the air. The teacher Iruka Umino panicked not having previous knowledge of his student's quirk and tried to usher students away from the bright cloud. However, the injured student’s knee was healed once the spores were wiped away. This young girl’s quirk manifested and brought many fathers pleading for arranged marriages between their children causing the parents to send their child to a more guarded primary school. Eventually her twin vines stopped growing around an approximated seven feet in length. She began experimenting, her vines were impervious to extreme fire and ice. She could control them with focus, their strength monstrous. She could crush bones and flesh with her vegetation if she wished. Her records he acquired took a sour turn once she had acquired her hero's license and graduated schooling. The school records turned to medical ones, records on her physical injuries and those mental. Out of nowhere they ceased. Dropping off of the podium's limelight of rising heroes she disappeared, stopped cold turkey on attending her therapy and counseling. If she ever went out in public for anything nobody recognized her. Her file ceased to be built upon or even touched for two years before it continued. She started fighting crime again, it was all her reports and files were majorly. Over the span of a year she had clawed her way up from her previous rank of fifteen to number nine. Once she had started rising in the ranks of pro heroes again the very All Might took notice of her brilliance and offered her a pro hero partnership contract. His curiosity was peaked and he used his amassed resources to hoard every file, report, medical record, newspaper and magazine article on her being. Hours upon hours of reading spent in his office. Even though her lack of mental strength revolted and disgusted him he still offered her a contract as well. Whether it was solely because All Might had or because her quirk was exceedingly rare and perfectly matched to work in sync with his he did not know. His contract was less sweet in hindsight, she would be a support to him not his equal. Not a partner. He sweetened the deal enough with exceedingly above expected payroll and too good benefits. He didn’t expect her to accept his contract, she would be a lower role than him in the pro hero world vs on equaling standing of another. However, she did. He had usurped his rival and won another prized quirk for his company’s collection, his legacy. 

~~~~~ 

Her apartment wasn’t well known to the public of Japan so the sole customized envelop in her mailbox worried her nerves slightly. Her family’s connections made it easy to acquire an apartment out of sight and without much attention. The Haruno’s were not pro heroes but they were excellent civilians with wide reaching connections around here and there for their odd yet rare quirks. Rotating the letter in her hand at first, she thought it was old and aged. However, on closer inspection she realized it was purposely yellowed, the wax seal reflected sunlight nicely. The seal’s wax the exact pale gold her pro-Hero costume was, it was a nice touch she thought honestly. All Might’s envelop had been a clean pristine white without a waxy seal, he leaned towards simplicity in its presentation. After years of inactivity she threw herself into her previously abandoned work, her ranking abandoned from years of nothing. She reacquainted herself with everything being a pro-hero entails and her new acquaintances. Soon after breaking into the top ten pro-heroes list and skipping number ten straight to number nine the contracts started appearing. She knew this could break or make her career and she honestly had a bias towards her choices. Regeneration quirk demand they all basically said, it was rare for just a self-regeneration quirk to appear and yet she could heal others like UA's recovery girl. Not only that but she could fight with her quirk too, offensive and defensive. She also knew the rumors floating about. Self-centered, too goal driven, possessively controlling, perfectionist. She knew first hand as a child what Endeavor was like from one brief encounter, he spurned her loved one when he idolized him. She was still slightly bitter but wanted to see if he changed for better or worse. Her dream was nowhere near her grasp anymore so she tried doing what he’d be proud of but sometimes it wasn’t enough. Watching the pale gold reflect into her eyes off of a stray sunbeam she decided on whim she’d go to at least see if he was the same, as he had been ten years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of next chapter Sakura will be twenty and Endeavor will be forty with an age gape of twenty years between them.


	2. Rain and kuzumochi under the stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> September 13th, Six months and seventeen days into Sakura’s Support contract with Endeavor.

Most patrols were quiet, Sakura didn’t know if she preferred this or if it unnerved her being so idle. Endeavor’s patrol routes were among the safest in the city of Musutafu Japan so most days it was unnervingly quiet Sakura had finally decided. Villains of any class low or high wouldn’t lurk in the shadows of the number two pro hero’s designated alleyways, especially with the number nine pro hero now accompanying him as his designated healer and back up. It was always the same, they’d rendezvous at the starting point of his patrol route on top of his company’s roof and loop through many well trafficked streets like Ikue and Makiko. It was more of an appearance and moral boost for citizens to be reminded that these well visited and busy streets were safe for all under his protection. They never stopped at any stalls or venders, or even restaurants. He mostly held his head high never stopping or diverging from his set-in stone route ignoring the citizens whether they be children or elders, no he had a job to do and he supposed they were in the way she assumed. She knew the route well enough from growing up around these streets to occasionally stop and buy something from stalls that caught her attention and catch up to him as he continued to walk, she was an adult in many ways and he knew she could handle locating him well enough on her own if they were separated. After six months of the contract being active and her presence on the route he had gotten better, at first it was him slowing down slightly so he wouldn’t get too out of sight so she wouldn’t have to use her vines to find a height advantage to locate him and then it was completely stopping for her and gazing around at everything scanning for threats as he bid his time. It was nice, the companionable silence wasn’t too different from her earlier pro-hero work as an individual alone constantly. It was probably better in hindsight, it eased her into being a companion once again. Wondering if she’d bother him with her stopping today at Masayo’s stall for some takoyaki bursting with pickled ginger she failed to realize that first few raindrops that silently fell onto the crown of her head. The next few drops however came with a few friends who brought even more angry droplets that demanded to be felt. Worriedly looking at Endeavor she realized his flames weren’t reacting to the water like normal ones and were still burning in their usual spots just more subdued. Not being bothered by the rain or perhaps enjoying the sparsity of the streets once civilians started scattering for shelter, he kept on continuing his patrol. No, it was probably pride that wouldn’t let him stop his patrolling. However, it was early fall and Sakura wore her cooler costume with thin pale golden linen fabric that was in the style of a Greek goddess’s dress but stopped at her knees and was in two pieces exposing her midriff and lower back. In other words, she was not prepared for luke-warm rain drenching her costume or touching her bare skin and she was cold, screw her pride and damn his. 

“Endeavor may we take a break inside of a building for shelter? I’m not prepared for rain.” Sakura spoke trying to match his strides as she also tried ignoring the rain pelting her exposed bits and pieces. 

He gave her no words but looked at her out of the corner of his eyes as if she was a child asking for something useless, it irked her. She was twenty as of this past March, not a child anymore. Far from it. 

“It would not be good for your public and media image if you let me catch my death out in the rain when I haven’t even been under contract for a year yet.” She quipped as she stood her ground steel in her voice, she was allowed the human decency of warmth after all. 

“Hn.” He grunted before looking everywhere but at her. 

She thought he might be avoiding her gaze because she had sniped at him and that was unprofessional especially in public and was looking for any witnesses of the scene but no, He was searching for a place of shelter that fit his needs. Not too busy with traffic or civilians and above decent. He silently strode into a restaurant nestled next to an alleyway and left her behind expecting her to follow. Miffed but satisfied Sakura followed him into the quaint little shop admiring the theme, astronomy. An elderly woman barely up to even Sakura’s chest toddled over to the register at the sound of the wind chimes, they were star shaped Sakura noticed cutely. 

“Ah! Endeavor-sama and Medicinal Snare-sama! Please, please this way! I was hoping the rain would convince you to come visit my shop!” The squat woman squeaked happily leading them to one of the many tables hidden behind folding screens, Sakura fingered the constellations painted in silver on them as the endearing elderly woman chirped on and on about what she would recommend. 

“It would be free of course, whatever you order, it’s an honor to have top ten pro-heroes in my shop! My grandson Hideto is making himself scarce as of late so I’ll be serving you today!” She seemed so full of life her messy silver bun bobbing slightly as she talked so animated, her chirping must of irritated Endeavor and she hoped they could stay long enough for actual snacks. 

However, looking over his face was blank, no annoyance or anything. She wished he’d have this patience with her but it was a relief he had it towards this sweet adorable old lady even if she was a chatterbox. 

“Ms.?” Sakura asked inquiring about her name as she adjusted her only shoulder strap. 

“Oh, dear I’m sorry for chattering so much! My adorable but rebellious grandson says I do this a lot to customers! I’m Eiko Watanabe but you can call me Eiko sweetie.” The woman gushed handing them menus. 

“Ms. Watanabe I will pay for anything my support or I order, there’s no need.” Endeavor spoke, his pride wouldn’t let him have someone else cover his expenses. Especially a female, one that was his elder no less. 

“Oh, that’s so generous!” Ms. Eiko cooed. 

Eventually Endeavor ordered two Kuzumochis for them and Ms. Eiko scurried away to the kitchen to most likely hand-make their order with loving care. Sakura loved the elderly so much, so cute and wise from years of experience. They usually had either immense wisdom or at least greatly entertaining stories to tell. When their food was brought out, they ate in companionable silence and sat until they were both finished. He paid for everything mumbling under his breath about pride when she offered to pay for at least her order’s worth. As they exited outside the rain had long finished leaving only a few puddles behind and a new memory fresh in their minds.


	3. Only number one fan's have dolls!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> December 15th, Nine months and two days into Sakura’s Support contract with Endeavor.

“I advise you to ignore the child Medicinal Snare.” Endeavor commented not taking his eyes off the view ahead of them. 

Puffing up her cheeks Sakura felt insulted on the poor child’s behalf, “She has been tailing us for two blocks now and you want me to ignore her? She’s not a threat, she just probably wants your autograph. Anyway, she’s got determination.” 

Huffing slightly Endeavor halted walking and looked at Sakura out of the corner of his eye as if she was trying his patience. Realization flashed through her and her sour expression morphed into one of triumph. He was indulging her. Once they stopped the little girl stopped and quickly hid behind a telephone pole as if the lanky wooden pole could hide her dress’s poufy yellow skirt. It was sweet how some of the younger fans got anxious when confronted by heroes they adored, hopefully Endeavor would actually sign this one’s notebook instead of rudely walking away. Studying the child more she noticed near her chest was where she clutched her dainty bronze colored hands, and they were holding an action figure or doll of some kind. Her heart did a little flip thinking of how cute it would be to see the big scary Endeavor holding a mini him as he signed it. But it wasn’t red hair she saw poking out from between the girl’s fingers, no it was pink. On closer inspection she realized it was a female doll she held so tightly. 

“Hey you! Little cutie behind the pole come here.” She called to the child as she strode over to her. 

She crouched low to be just over a head taller than the what seemed like six-year-old, "May I see your doll? I haven’t seen a pro hero doll like that before.” 

Avoiding eye contact the girl shoved the hard doll into Sakura’s hands before she could re-word her question due to fear of it sounding too demanding towards a child. Surprisingly the porcelain was incredibly warm which meant the little girl had been holding it for a long time. Weighing the mini human in her hands she noticed how light it was and that it was probably hollow inside underneath the porcelain exterior. The doll was beautiful to say the least, it was hand painted and the minuscule details were perfect. With all its details out in the open she finally could see the tiny pro hero’s costume and design and it took her breath away. 

“It’s me?” 

Sakura fingered the hair noticing the exact shade of cherry blossom petal pink that must have been hand dyed. The glassy marble eyes were that painstakingly odd green just two shades darker than a granny smith apple. It must have been expensive to commission someone for this trinket, it took professional artists hours to get the exact shade of her eyes and sometimes it still seemed like something was still off. Pulling the doll’s shirt up she saw Mr. Akifumi’s signature between the shoulder blades where he usually signed custom dolls. Lead filled her gut with the thought of how much this doll really must have cost this girl’s parents and how it could have been her only birthday present that year. Forgetting where she was, she reached into her pocket to fish out her wallet and crouched to the child’s height. 

“Here,” She held out her left palm, “Give this to your mommy for me and tell her I’m sorry I don’t have more readily available trinkets for my number one fan.” 

The little girl trusting her favorite hero pocketed the money with a thank you and left after a final hug. Sakura felt bad wondering how many parents had commissioned expensive dolls and toys with her emblem or likeness on them because of her non-existent merchandise. She came from a civilian household and knew that money didn’t flow in as much as those with pro-heroes involved. Even worse for those without parents. 

“Her parents indulged in her whim spoiling her and you rewarded them for their lack of control.” Her momentarily forgotten about companion scolded. 

“It’s my fault for being careless, I should have had taken Mr. Akifumi up on his offer of a contract with his toy company when I broke top ten pro heroes. Anyway, one of us has to have a bleeding heart to counteract the frozen ice block of a heart the other houses.” She grinned over her shoulder at him. 

She had long realized how valuable she was to pro heroes because of her quirk. She could be mouthy and cross some boundaries if she wished, toe the line vibrating an energy that screamed chaotic neutral. He wouldn’t dare get rid of her now that her position was common public knowledge, he’d lose favorability he was already barely grasping. He knew this too, and that she was aware of her power. It unsettled him that she held a power over him, he was the mighty Endeavor number two pro hero. A wisp of a child shouldn’t have any power over anyone but themselves. So begrudgingly he let her petty comments and quips slide not even reacting half of the time, she kept on her best behavior in front of others and most importantly the media so he could at least be thankful for this. 

“Endeavor how about we change our patrol route a little today hm? Stop by Eiko’s sweets shop? I’ll treat you to kuzumochi?” Sakura offered to sweeten the deal a little. 

He didn’t answer her but as he turned down Haruya street instead of continuing down Chōei she had her answer. He was always in the mood for Eiko’s kuzumochi, especially when he was annoyed. He was surprisingly someone who ate their emotions, mostly anger not stress. She’d buy extra to leave on his desk later so she could keep toeing her imaginary line without driving him off the edge he usually teetered himself.


	4. Sometimes its better to ignore pleading children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> March 31st, Eleven months and sixteen days into Sakura’s Support contract with Endeavor.

“Endeavor! Please stop! Please!” Cried a small boy of the age of 12, he was around Endeavor’s youngest son’s age if she remembered correctly. 

She wasn’t surprised he didn’t have a soft spot for children, she remembered their only encounter as a child a year or two younger than this one. The mighty number two hero kept on, he never stopped for fans that plead for his attention. His patrol route was set in stone and had been repeated without interruption for over twenty years now. Well, except for her. 

“Why don’t you stop for this one?” She questioned feeling awful for continuing to walk beside him as the child still followed and shouted. 

“Patrol is a serious matter Medicinal Snare, civilians should not interfere.” His tone was final, he didn’t leave any room for argument but she wouldn’t give up. 

“If you care about your image at all you would want to indulge him so the child would stop gaining attention.” Her voice dropped low into a whisper, “The civilians are watching, judging you mighty hero.” 

Halting suddenly when she didn’t expect him to her shoulder bumped into his ribs. He was 6’4 ¾ after all while she stood as a measly 5’2 and it wasn’t until really moments like these that she truly remembered. He studied her for a moment something unreadable in his eyes, like he was weighing a scale mentally. However, the scales tipped in her favor for some unknown reason she didn’t really know and honestly neither did he. 

“Boy, what do you want?” He crossed his arms impatiently across his chest, “I don’t have all day child.” 

Shock showed pretty openly on the young boy’s face and honestly Sakura was kind of angry. It was fifty-fifty, half of her was mad this boy expected Endeavor to ignore him but kept wailing in front of others in public. Well the other bit was that everyone DID expect Endeavor to ignore his child fans. However, the stares from on lookers made her more upset with the selfishness of the child for the earlier. 

“Sign my notebook! Every great hero I meet I have them sign a new page! I saved you a spot here!” The boy said pointing excitedly to an empty page between All Might and Hawks, there was no please anymore once he realized he’d get what he wanted. Sakura then realized maybe Endeavor wasn’t wrong for ignoring screaming fans. 

After crouching down to sign the plain black composition book Endeavor straightened himself handing said book back to the boy. Seeing him flip through his composition notebook she realized how full it was, familiar names like Gang Orca, Best Jeanist, Captain Selkie, and Tiger stood out the most to her. 

“Hey you have quite the collection going on little hero,” She crouched down to his level as he began preening saying proudly, I know, “Would you mind If I signed it to help fill it up?” 

He looked up at her face smug grin gone and studied her face for a few awkward seconds, “No thanks lady, I don’t really know who you are or if you’ll even stay in the top pro-heroes list long.” He snapped his notebook closed, “Any way this is a pro-hero book, not support book. Your signature wouldn’t belong.” 

Pride hurt slightly Sakura slowly got back up and tried to save what little pride she had left that wasn’t destroyed by a child in front of her basically boss. 

“That’s completely fine, I understand it's your property and it was rude of me to assume. “She smiled awkwardly, “I'm sorry for bothering you young hero.” She fumbled with her words slightly at the humiliation at someone else’s honesty. 

“I want to see your pen and notebook boy.” Endeavor commented, it wasn’t really a request. 

The young boy’s smile returned brightly, “Of course! Want to see how the competition like All Might and Hawks sign their names?” He handed over his probably most prized possession and continued talking animatedly, “All Might’s signature is pretty crude and comes with a small doodle. Hawk’s is pretty neat which you wouldn’t exp-” 

Panic filled the boy’s eyes as he started an incoherent cry causing Sakura to stop staring at her hands nervously. Following his line of sight Sakura saw something she would have thought too petty or cruel of the number two hero, he was scratching his name out in two neat lines from a child’s notebook. Horror fueled Sakura once she remembered they were in public where many citizens could be watching, and boy were they watching. 

“Endeavor! What the hell are you doing!?” Sakura screeched prying the notebook from his hands as his knuckles flexed from holding it too tight, in anger? Was he angry on her behalf? 

Sighing she handed the notebook back to the child who was publicly sobbing and drawing a crowd, god their public approval ratings were going to plummet for a while or well at least his. 

“Listen to me and stop your sniffling,” Endeavor ordered not caring for the child’s theatrics, “You respect your elders and you know your place. Do not disrespect support heroes, especially mine. Because she’s the only reason I gave you the light of day, because patrolling is serious work.” 

With that he stood brushing off the crowd’s mixed looks of respect and revulsion. He left her standing there next to a crying child as he continued his usual patrol route as if nothing happened. Deciding nothing could really mend this situation she walked away speed walking to catch up to her companion. It was easy to fall into step with him after almost a year of it. 

“I understand why you did what you did back there Endeavor but, why did you do it?” Endeavor never really stood up for others, he never let someone get a rise out of him either. 

“Children need to be taught lessons or else they will walk the path of dishonor. He could not be allowed to keep his reward when he forfeited it once opening his mouth.” 

Sakura felt a little less small at the child’s cruel words and smiled at him over her shoulder, “You still defended me, it meant a lot knowing the consequences.” 

“Do not read into it child.” He huffed. 

“Ah, is that an endearing jab I hear? Oh, you’ve gotten soft or maybe you just like me.” Sakura laughed but then she turned serious, “You know I disliked you for quite a while. My best friend begged and pleaded for your autograph when we were younger and you snubbed him. But, after today I realized why you ignore crazed fans so I don’t really hold it against you anymore. You know looking at it from an unbiased perspective my friend was probably overzealous and a bit too demanding of your attention that day, but he was always such a bundle of energy. It was just how he was made.” 

Silence was met with her personal admission. Out of all the files in his collection he hoarded about her he never had anything personal. It was all official documents from someone else about her, never written or recorded by her. She seldom talked about her past openly. He never asked questions and in return neither did she, but his curiosity still was piqued by these personal accounts in first person he lacked in his collection. He didn’t understand why he was so interested so he ignored it, his pride snuffing it out. After that day children and teenagers a like always requested both of their signatures in fear of upsetting the mighty Endeavor.


	5. Support Heroes use the same paint swatches for their dolls as their Hero right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> July 9th, One year, two months, and nine days into Sakura’s Support contract with Endeavor.

“Mr. Akifumi do I really need to sit down and do quality control swatches with you for the dolls? Couldn’t I just send you pictures of everything you need for reference?” Sakura sighed as the most highly regarded doll designer yanked and pulled at her short hair. 

“Unprofessional dear Sakura,” He tugged another chunk of hair in one hand and held up four swatches of doll hair individually tied with twine in the other, “Photos do not make credible references, you mock my work.” 

“Could you at least not tug as hard? I cut all of my hair off for a reason Mr. Akifumi.” She huffed blowing an abandoned strand out of her eyes. 

After an incident involving a villain grabbing her by her hair when she was younger Sakura decided to chop everything off in the bathroom with safety scissors, something her mother wouldn’t understand. It made her feel helpless and helped her realize how much of a safety hazard it was. So, she chopped its previous waist caressing length off to a pixie cut with cheek bone length bangs that split down the middle in two wavy strands on each side, one set of strands carressed the top of her cheekbones and the other slightly touching the bottom of her ears. Her goal was to avoid being man handled by her hair, which she thought she achieved and yet somehow this elderly man was doing just that. 

“I can feel the animosity roll off of you in waves young one, would you like to do easier swatches today? He asked as he ran over to the desk covered in millions of paint swatches with names and serial numbers written on them in his personal style. 

She relaxed slightly readjusting against the plush armchair, “That would be great Mr. Akifumi.” 

Returning with a box labeled red-orange he started digging through out the box pulling swatches out every now and then, “Please hold your hand out like you are at a nail salon, I would like to match your fingernail polish with my swatches of nail polish I have in my collection. There shouldn’t be any touching or tugging for now.” 

He began his comparison of colors trying to find that exact shade his perfectionist self would be content with. After about twenty colors that honestly looked the exact same to her, he spoke up frustration evident in his tone, “Did you order a special foreign nail polish on the Internet or a discontinued brand? I can’t seem to find the right ratio of orange and red.” 

“Well I took two different nail polishes that were running low and mixed them together so I guess the color is special.” Sakura said trying to remember what the original bottles even looked like. 

“Why ever would you do something like that? You have to bring the bottle in on your next appointment for me to recreate.” He said crossly as he returned the box to his desk and hefted up another box labeled apple green, these looked like matte paint this time. 

“I wanted to wear something that matched Endeavor for my pro-hero costume. We don’t match very much, he wears navy and has red hair but I wear pale gold and have pink hair. Most wouldn’t know we worked together by just looking at us.” 

“Why didn’t you say so my sweet stupid child? I can just use the same paint as one of the many ones used for Endeavor’s flame details on his doll. It sadly won't be authentic and be real nail polish but color matching is my real enjoyment in the minor details. Now open your eyes wide like I’ve seen you young girls do when applying mascara.” He shuffled throughout the box with one hand and held swatches up with the other to her eyes throwing away onto the floor any swatches that displeased him. 

She couldn’t help but snort, “Oh yeah just say oh I paint my nails a custom Endeavor Orange. That sounds very mature for someone of my age.” 

“That sounds like something a young person would worry about, which would fall into your age group. Once you get older and mature you start to not care what others think of you.” Mr. Akifumi chided. 

“I am twenty-one, I may not look it but that just means I won’t have as many wrinkles when I’m older as others my age. Plus you do still care, you care what others think of your art so your previous comment is forefited.” Sakura grinned cheekily, her response was Mr. Akifumi tugging her hair to annoy her.


	6. Frost covered dumplings and stuttering children

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> September 23rd, One year, four months, and fourteen days into Sakura’s Support contract with Endeavor.

“Father?” Fuyumi screeched almost dropping the platters she was balancing, “What are you doing home? I thought you wanted to take your meals in your office at work?” 

Choosing to ignore her stuttering Enji silently sat down on the tatami and crossed his legs patiently waiting for his bowls and plates to be set at the chabudai for dinner. There was no reason to indulge her questions as she fumbled and choked on her very own words, information came at one’s choice. Her fumbling did not deserve an answer. There was no reason to question why he was in his own house, he may come and go as he pleased in the Todoroki manor for it was his domain. Catching on to her father's wordless order she placed down the steaming platters and began scurrying away to fetch everything needed for his meal avoiding his eye contact. He was a man to be respected, to be feared. Returning with his bowl, plate, and chopsticks Fiyumi gently set them down before calling only Shoto for dinner. The questioning look he sent her was read fully without miscommunication. He was a man of action and of silent body language, not words. 

“Natsuo is studying at his friend Arata’s house for an upcoming exam and is eating dinner with them.” She explained as she fiddled with the placements nervously, the bowls were set perfectly so he saw no reason for her to continue fiddling with them. 

The sound of bare feet hitting the mats stopped and everyone knew Shoto had arrived from where ever he previously was, everyone hoped at least Enji wouldn’t singe the tablecloth or Shoto wouldn’t freeze the soup in anger by the end of tonight. It was a petty hope that anyone involved knew wouldn’t come true. Shoto wordlessly sat opposite of his father refusing to look anywhere but his teal eyes. Enji tried not to openly scowl more than he usually did but Shoto’s usual hard glint of cold furry and silent revulsion didn’t help. 

“Why are you here?” Four simple words, but the tone and implications didn’t go unnoticed. This was a lot for him to say to his father he usually ignored. So, he would start his misbehaving early tonight Enji thought sourly. 

“This is my manor, my residence. I will come and go as I please. Work has allowed time for small moments like this.” He commented, it was a small truth but not entirely telling the whole truth. His son's rebellious behavior and curiosity was not to be rewarded, he would only get a half truth. 

Sensing he wouldn’t get anymore answers Shoto narrowed his eyes slightly and began picking dumplings from the platter to bring to his personal plate. Only Shoto could question him and speak with such disrespect as he did, the Mighty Endeavor needed his son to usurp All Might and so he used this leniency commonly. Even though he was a prodigy Shoto still had not learned how to severe the connection between his powers and his emotions. Therefore, his chopsticks slowly began to take on miniscule icicles chilling his dumplings slightly whenever he touched them. 

“Well I for one am disappointed in Natsuo for not choosing tonight to eat dinner with us,” the eldest daughter stuttered from trying to break the tense atmosphere, “He’s missing a rare occasion and treat, the whole family’s almost all here.” Realizing her mistake by bringing up family Fiyumi shrunk slightly in on herself cursing herself mentally for providing unintentional fuel to the simmering fire. 

“What do you want?” Shoto asked his nerves being set off by thoughts of his mother, she should be here not his father. 

Enji narrowed his eyes at his youngest son tiring of his dramatics, he had to deal with Medicinal Snare’s theatrics almost daily and he would not take them from his own child also. “For you not to get your weak little ice all over the dinner.” 

“My ice is not weak!” Shoto yelled slamming his hands on the table top, “It is what makes me strong!” 

At his tone Enji’s flames activated on instinct billowing around his face in a menacing glow. “I am your father and you will respect me boy. Thaw your food and continue eating.” 

Dismissing his flames, he continued eating shoving chunks of pork belly into his mouth with vigor. He needed kuzumochi after this, perhaps his support had restocked his desk drawer with a parcel or two. His support was at fault for this, she had complained that he took too many meals at his office instead of with his family. She pledged to bother him until he went home for a meal, he could have lied to her but he saw no reason in lying to her. Lying consumed energy, and meant he was a coward for hiding the truth. If she found out he lied she wouldn’t drop the subject either, possibly being more of a hassle than before. Looking at Shoto and seeing he was already staring at him in quiet anger trying to read his thoughts he realized he didn’t care for anymore dramatics than necessary. His son would grow up eventually and strive out on his own but his support would be there for the immediate future, one's dramatics were enough for him. The rest of dinner was continued in tense silence, the only sounds were that of chopsticks hitting porcelain or of swallowing. Once it was done Fiyumi began making trips between the kitchen and chabudai clearing away the dishes and cutlery. His youngest son remained, Shoto would stay until Enji left the room. He didn’t trust him alone with his eldest sister. Enji hadn’t touched his daughter in anger before but Shoto remembered his mother so he stayed put. 

Wiping her hands off on her skirt Fiyumi fumbled with finding her courage, “Should I start setting a place for you at dinner father?” 

Enji sat silent considering it, “No not consistently, I was merely here to get another to quiet their complaining. I shall still take my meals majorly at the company suite. However, I will come once every few weeks to continue their silence.” 

“When have you cared what others think of you?” Shoto commented icily. 

When did he start to care what anyone said? He did not know the answer. Many times, he did things the media would have frowned upon. He did not hold any regard for his associate pro-heroes' opinions or requests either. He had done what could be considered heinous things to his family for the sake of his goals not caring for their tears or how they viewed him. So why did he care now? Getting angry at not knowing something for once and doubting himself Enji stood and left the manor to be on his way to his not so visited patrol routes, tonight he would find criminals lurking in shadows and deflect his own anger on to them.


	7. Thai style Boxing and bruises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> December 26th, One year, seven months, and three days into Sakura’s Support contract with Endeavor.

Endeavor did not tolerate weakness, that was the end of the discussion. Whether it mental or physical he did not discriminate, either or disgusted him. However, he was disgusted for another reason not entirely the same. His support Medicinal Snare had begun Muay Thai lessons with associate pro-hero Rabbit Hero, her reasoning was that Muay Thai, a form of Thai boxing, was a skill that would greatly improve her hand to hand combat skills should her vines become unable to function. He certainly could not see anything in their future that would stack up against her quirk’s sturdiness but he could still see the advantages to accumulating more of a skill set, especially since her hand to hand combat was lacking. What disgusted him was how his support was being attacked without mercy during her matches by her female mentor. The number five pro-hero spoke her opinions and beliefs openly and bluntly, she believed any who worked in teams or groups was weak. He had believed this too however, she had been being too rough too long for him to not interfere. His support was coming in after her practice bruised and exhausted, she wouldn’t heal her injuries because she believed the pain would remind her to try harder next time with dodging or counterstriking. He believed she was being impossible. Walking into the back room containing one of the many boxing rings he followed his ears, it wasn’t hard to locate which room she was in. He could hear her grunts of exertion and occasional pain. No pale gold cloth or white sandals met his sight, no she was clad in all maroon with a pair of boxing gloves matching her eyes. Custom made definitely, he never saw her eye color anywhere in mass produced products. Noticing her attire stirred something deep in him that had been dormant for many years. She wore simply a spandex sports-bra like top with simple athletic shorts both a deep maroon, her hair clashed well in red. It did not seem unpleasing in his eyes but the stirring he felt did. Pushing down that foreign emotion he snapped out of his thoughts just as her mentor landed a strike to Medicinal Snare’s cheek with her upper shin, she had meant to duck when she should have blocked. Swallowing a growl Enji continued his strides towards the outer ring his thoughts forgotten. 

“Time! Now, now I know you’re a support hero but I expected less incompetency. You’ve still made great improvement in these few weeks but still.” Rabbit Hero scolded as she bent to retrieve her elastic hair band, her ponytail had come loose during the matches presumably. 

Sakura did not answer as she held her throbbing cheek with her small hand. Instead she leaned back against the ropes stretching them back as her vines unwound from around her body to reach out for an ice pack in the small white cooler near Rabbit Hero’s corner. A jolt of pain soared throughout one of her vines as the other arena companion stomped her foot on it. 

“What did I say? No using your vines at all in the ring during practice. You can’t rely on them for anything.” Her teacher tutted as she finished tying back her impossibly long white hair. 

“Sorry.” Sakura muttered as her vines retracted wrapping around her neck then under her arms and around them. 

She sighed, “Support heroes need to be strong in case they are the only ones left standing and able. What happens if your hero falls incapable? What if they leave you behind? Would you survive? Would they?” it was a rhetoric question and she knew this. 

“She does not need to worry about such trivial matters and what ifs that will never happen.” Enji spoke slightly annoyed that this woman dare insinuate he would fall before his support did and that his support wasn’t strong enough to survive being on her own. She was on her own before him and he did not hire unsatisfactory people in his company’s name. 

He did not doubt Rabbit Hero’s abilities in teaching but she was not handling his support right, she had a job to do and she couldn’t do it if she was injured at the start of her patrol. 

“Ahhh, the Mighty Endeavor graces us women with his presence. Come to retrieve your child?” She laughed as she sat on one of the ropes surrounding the boxing ring. 

“She is not a child though she is mine. You have been too rough with my support during matches, her rank is four positions different than yours. You are stronger and do not account that into your strikes. ” His eyes narrowed more than their usual slant at her tone. She was not allowed to be so casual with her superior, she was below him in rank and respect. She was not allowed this grace. 

“She is weak and needs to not be coddled during lessons, her pain reminds her to improve.” 

So, this is why she wasn’t healing her injuries and where she was getting her nonsense, “She is not weak, soon she will usurp even you in ranking with time.” His snide remark caused her fluffy white ears to bend slightly with her attitude change. 

“I am fine Endeavor, I’m learning something new that will help me in the field. A few bruises won’t hurt me, villains have done worse.” Sakura interfered trying to diffuse the situation. 

“You will stop your lessons if you will not heal yourself. Your pain will not be present anymore but the memory will still remain as a reminder.” Endeavor ordered leaving no room for argument. 

“I will heal myself starting now because you're right that the memory will still serve its purpose almost as well as residual pain. However,” Her eyes took on a look of resolve he hadn’t seen before, “You will not order me what to do about my body or person, especially on my spare time.” 

The look in her eyes caused him to believe there was a reasoning behind why she was so resilient in his order but, she made no move to voice why. He chose to leave it alone for now, when she chose to open up, she would. She had before on multiple subjects. Ducking under the ropes she jumped down the three feet to ground level before she chose to unwind her vines that already sprouted pale pink buds getting ready to burst and bloom with healing spores at her command. 

“I’ll see you next week Usagiyama, don’t forget it will be your turn to bring the water.” Sakura called as she began walking away leaving the two pro-heroes behind. Being snubbed in front of another professional upset Endeavor however he knew he must have crossed a line and touched a personal nerve. 

“You will take it easier on her or else I will challenge you myself and I will not coddle you as you haven’t her.” Endeavor threatened over his shoulder once Sakura was out of earshot. Without waiting for a reply, he exited as quietly as he entered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was dedicated to MultiSakuBlossom! Please check out some of her work!!!


	8. The Tea Collector and Half & Half.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> February 2nd, One year, eight months, and seven days into Sakura’s Support contract with Endeavor.

It was nothing to be worried about, nothing to fear. She was his support hero, she should be able to visit his manor and not start sweating at the thoughts in her head. He needed this paper is what she told herself. So, what if the paparazzi could snap a few photos of her at the gates or a fellow por-hero see her on her way in or out. She was his support and his assistant said the folder had been important and needed to be turned in tomorrow morning at the latest. So, when a stray paper fell out and she saw it her conscious wouldn’t shut up. So here she was on a cold February evening with a paper clutched in her palm staring down the tall gates. Gah! She was probably crumpling it! Nervously she fumbled with the paper making sure she didn’t crease it anywhere and sighed in relief when it only had one bend. It could be evened out hopefully. Steeling her nerves Sakura pressed the intercom button to announce she was here. 

“Hello? May I ask who is it?” A sweet feminine voice questioned hesitantly from the intercom’s speak. 

Not knowing where to look and not seeing a camera Sakura looked at the speaker, “Ah, I’m Medicinal Snare, Endeavor’s support hero. A paper slipped out of an important folder as he was leaving for the day and I came to return it.” 

A buzzer noise sounded off alerting Sakura momentarily, “Please come through the gate I’ll meet you on the main house’s steps.” The voice informed before clicking off. 

Giving a shove to the gate doors to test if they were really unlocked Sakura found them quite heavy and wondered how his children ever came and go out of them. Sliding in between the partially open doors she pushed them back together with a resounding click before turning back towards the main house. Everything seemed very traditional and really different than the modern city of Musutafu with all of its steel and concrete. On the porch stood a woman around Sakura’s age with her hands clasped in front of her nervously. Once she looked up from them Sakura knew this must be Endeavor’s eldest daughter by her eyes. The Todoroki teal was such a dominant trait, she wondered if all of his children had his eyes. 

“Ah Medicinal Snare, I’m sorry if this was a bother.” Fuyumi, if Sakura recalled her name correctly, stuttered bowing slightly. 

“Oh, no please it wasn’t a hassle at all! Please stand straight were around the same age I think.” Sakura babbled slightly uncomfortable at the girl’s uneasiness. 

“You’re still my senior I’m only twenty-one and you’re my father’s associate.” Fuyumi said as she straightened back up. 

“It’s only one-year Fuyumi, just call me Sakura. I’m off duty and in civilian clothing anyway.” Sakura waved off as she scratched the back of her head, “Anyway here’s the paper, I’m sorry but I creased on side on accident but I think it could be smoothed out.” She handed the girl her the paper and clasped her hands in front of her, hopefully this girl’s quirk wasn’t sharing feelings because wow did Sakura feel uncomfortable. 

“I’ll leave it in father’s spare study for him since he’s not home yet. Would you care for some tea? I would feel awful you just leaving after doing something so kind.” Fuyumi asked as she stepped down another step or two to be on Sakura’s level. 

Sakura didn’t really know if Endeavor would be mad at her for going into his home without asking him first and doing so without him present also. “I don’t think Endeavor would really want me too.” 

“He wouldn’t mind, he rarely mentions work or his associates but when he does its of you and with respect.” seeing Sakura leaning towards no still she used her name to get her to say yes, “Please Sakura, it would be nice to talk to you and hear about my father’s work and how he is with others.” 

“I guess tea does sound good right now, I am kind of thirsty. What do you have?” Sakura grinned. 

“A lot, I love tea and I buy any and all flavors to try a little of everything.” Fuyumi smiled back, it would be nice to share tea with someone. She had so much, too much for one person. 

Fuyumi wasn’t lying when she said she loved tea. Sakura lost count of all the flavors she had seen: green, orange, apple blossom honey, ginseng, lavender. There were too many and Sakura hadn’t even tried most of the exotic or uncommon flavors. In the end Fuyumi chose for them both picking out a common mint tea and pulled out a special jar of honey from the cabinets, it was cherry blossom honey. How ironic yet cute Sakura gushed. They took their tea out on the back steps overlooking the garden Fuyumi personally took care of, it was beautiful and neatly kept. The longer they talked the less Fuyumi stuttered and fumbled over her words, Sakura wondered how long it had been since she had had someone of her own age over for company. She wondered the same about herself. Sakura told stories of her patrols with Endeavor and their occasional outings to Eiko’s sweets shop and how Fuyumi just had to go there for some snacks to bring home. Fuyumi took in every story she could about her father absorbing every fact or detail Sakura told. She had told Sakura about her favorite tea shop that stocked exotic teas from around the world and how she took great pride in her garden because it calmed her anxieties. It didn’t take long for their laughing to alert the youngest member of the household to their enjoyment. However, he just watched from afar at a respectable distance. He should be starting High school soon, no doubt UA. His unique coloring surprised her at first and she thought about how cute it was, half and half straight down the middle. Different hair colors and different eye colors, however the scar made Sakura curious since he was only around fourteen and shouldn’t have any real battle experience. His sister tried to introduce them but her narrowed his eyes silently once he heard his father’s name and how they were acquainted. He wordlessly stayed at his respectable distance and sat down inside the manor on the tatami floor and just listened to them talk. His elder sister tried to apologize for him and his behavior saying he didn’t get along well with his father and Sakura just chalked it up to teenage rebellion since she didn’t know any better. They probably talked for another thirty minutes possibly an hour with Shoto silently listening, she learned fast he was a quiet boy like his father. Finally, after sometime the front door to the manor opened and shut and Sakura forgot that she had gotten sidetracked chatting happily with Fuyumi. The room was quiet as Endeavor walked in and Fuyumi wasn’t as cheerfully animated anymore, even Shoto had opened his eyes finally. Sakura didn’t realize his own children tensed at his arrival, she thought it was more because he didn’t know she was there. First, he looked at his children and then her his eyes widening slightly most would have missed it. 

“Endeavor I’m sorry I barged in suddenly, but a piece of paper fell out of the folder your assistant gave you and she said it was important and that it needed to be turned in at the latest tomorrow morning. I didn’t feel well not delivering it to you when I easily could have.” Sakura rambled on, and he let her his patience with her was greater than others. His children noticed this, especially Shoto. He would have silenced Fuyumi until she stopped fumbling with her words or ignored her, but he stood silently as his support hero fumbled with excuses waiting for her to finish. 

“It had to be done.” Endeavor spoke tonelessly, no infliction in his voice or eyes, “How long have you been here?” 

Perking up at his acceptance of her explanation Sakura didn’t fumble anymore with her words. “I have no idea, I left right after I was off duty. I lost track because of Fuyumi, we had some really good tea from her collection and talked while looking at her garden.” Sakura smiled retelling her past hour and some change with his only daughter. 

Silently Endeavor sat down in front of the cabudai crossing his legs listening to Sakura recount her talk with Fuyumi and how beautiful and well-kept the garden seemed and how she wished she had space for a garden like that in her apartment. Casting his gaze at Fuyumi silently ordering her to get him a cup of tea also she went to the kitchens to find him a teacup. Shoto remained in his corner of the room silently watching his father and this girl, analyzing their interactions and dissecting them. His father allowed her leniencies that he didn’t give most people including his own family, the thought sat sour in his mind. He worried why his father was more relaxed with and around this pro-hero, whether she was his support or not. Shoto felt indigitation at how she was chatting with him and how casual they were, he was not dense. She may be oblivious and possibly his sister Fuyumi too but he saw how his father looked at her, how she was the only exception to his rules, how he respected her and no one else. Not even his wife. Thinking of his mother Shoto’s lips set in a grim line. Just because of his father’s interest he couldn’t hate her, she seemed nice like a good person. He listened as his sister and he talked, his sister greatly enjoyed her company. But there was a hurt in her eyes scarred over long ago like the physical one on his face, he could sense it. He worried for her safety after his mother flashed through his mind, this woman couldn’t know about his father’s home life. It wasn’t known by anyone outside of these cursed walls, she wouldn’t smile for him like that if she knew. The woman stood and began to leave passing Fuyumi who was on her way back on the way out saying goodbye and that she’d love to have tea again or visit the tea shop with her. After she left his sister set down a steaming kettle and lone teacup for his father. He asked her to tell him what she had said to Sakura and what they talked about together. Smiling Fuyumi sat down slightly less nervous as usual as she poured her father’s tea and informed him of everything said and talked about. His father listened carefully to everything recounted, whether it was to make sure no one said anything unwarranted or because he enjoyed hearing about this woman Shoto didn’t know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was super hyped up by the constant support from MultiSakuBlossom that I not only wrote last chapter as a spur of the moment update at 3am I also wrote this one! I hoped ya'll enjoyed and please check out MultiSakuBlossom's fics!


	9. Contracts always have loopholes and respect is mutual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> February 4th, One year, eight months, and nine days into Sakura’s Support contract with Endeavor.

“Fuyumi said that you had more children that weren’t there yesterday.” Sakura commented as she brought a piece of anmitsu to her mouth, she couldn’t constantly eat kuzumochi like Endeavor did. Eiko had generously added some of Sakura’s favorites to the menu after time and time again of visiting. She had a sweet spot for the pro-heroes who came to her sweets shop at least twice a week now, Endeavor and Medicinal Snare’s autographed photos were hung upon the wall behind the register. 

Endeavor stopped eating and chose his next words carefully, “Natsuo studies very often at his friend Arata’s residence, they have become quite close.” 

“So, I’ve almost met the entire family huh? So much for your privacy mighty hero.” Sakura jabbed lightheartedly pointing her chopsticks at him from across the small table. 

Her easy manner and casual smiles meant his children did not let slip about their estranged sibling. He did not know what became of Toya but he did not care, he was weak in mind and body. At least Fuyumi was increasingly intelligent and domestic, she fared well in the presence of Sakura which he took triumph in. 

“If you don’t mind me asking where is their mother? I assume she’s a really successful business woman or drop-dead gorgeous model who travels for work, I’d expect nothing less for a man with so much pride such as yourself.” She joked picking at her bowl with a gentle smile. 

Enji was a man to be feared, not to feel fear but his blood ran cold as the one subject he avoided finally came up. He could not blame her question. Every child had a mother yet the once time she graced his manor there were children but no mother. Fuyumi was not to be dismissed, she kept everything organized and to pride in the household in her mother’s absence. Lying was for weaker men. Those who lied were cowards who feared what their truth would bring upon them. He was not weak, he was the strongest man in the world. S-class villains cowered before him, other lowly pro-heroes avoided his gaze his very presence. However, her smile did something to him, he did not know when he had stopped seeing a nuisance and started seeing a rising equal upon his pedestal. Someone worthy of his respect, of standing at his side unattested. Her smile did not bother him, her dramatics didn’t tire him as much as those of others. His patience had built up because of her antics and presence, though he only spared the newly gained amount on her. Her fire was welcomed, she did not cower before him like others. She rose to the challenge when her beliefs were being tested or he was being cruel. He could not think of how she’d react if she found out about his domestic life, what he practiced behind closed doors. What he had done he had never regretted it before, regret was only for those without confidence in their actions. The past was already set in stone, one even as mighty as himself could not change the course of history. She would dissolve their contract if she found out his dark secrets, he did not welcome that idea. He had grown used to their routine, their banter. She had set down roots in his life and he did not even see it as it happened. He chose to lie, but only by omission. His weakness had soured his mood and the scowl on his face did not go past his companion. Neither did the minute of silence as Enji silently sat not answering her jab. 

“Excuse me if I crossed a line, I shouldn’t have pried.” Sakura whispered casting her eyes down at her bowl as she poked her jelly cubes embarrassed at her behavior. 

Her smile was gone, he did not like the foreign feeling of disappointment in his chest, “I have taken no offense, every child has a mother. It is the way of nature. Their mother had a mental break years ago and has been in a hospital since.” He did not admit anymore with the thought of their contract dissolving still in the back of his mind, of how she'd change around him and about him. 

“I’m sorry.” She whispered, he could read the guilt on her face openly. She could not hide anything from him even if she wanted. 

“Pity is for the weak, do not misplace yours.” He frowned now feeling disgusted that she found him weak, their respect would be equal or there would be none at all. 

Small, a small hand gently placed itself on top of his. The touch was so gentle, it was foreign almost alien to him. Her small barely there smile met his steely teal eyes. 

“You are not weak Enji, don’t mistake sympathy for pity.” She softly spoke rubbing her thumb across the top of his warm hand, she thought this moment deserved the use of his first name. 

She mistook the look in his eyes as conflict over thoughts of his suffering wife but they weren’t. They were thoughts of how easy it was for the look in her eyes when she saw him to change from warmth to cold that could have rivaled his youngest sons. Just this once Endeavor lied, he allowed this weakness and lied to himself about his feelings towards this woman across from him. He did not regret what he had done to Rei or to his children, no he regretted what it would cost him with her.


	10. Side by side sitting together, a place just for me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May 2nd, Two years into Sakura’s Support contract with Endeavor.

“For me?” Sakura echoed completely shell-shocked mouth agape. 

“For you.” He repeated himself, though he did not want too. 

In front of them was Endeavor’s office desk neat as ever everything in place as usual except for the new smaller desk next to it. It was made of a lighter wood almost white in appearance, bleached perhaps and it contrasted with his black stained wood one greatly. It was barren, no decorations or supplies save for a small telephone on the corner edge. Today marked two years into her contract with Endeavor, and she had expected nothing just like after it reaching a single year. But no, he had gifted her something this time and it meant a lot to her. It was because she was always in his office he said, it was easier to make a space for her than to let her either stand or lay all over his leather couch that rested against the wall. 

“Can I decorate it?” She asked her eyes impossibly wide at the thought of her own space in his office. 

“Nothing unsightly” He grunted out hoping he wouldn’t regret his choice. 

“I’m going to get Fuyumi to lend me some small potted plants she’s grown.” Sakura chirped excitedly as she examined the desk drawers and top. 

Fuyumi grew the best plants and she couldn’t wait until the next time she came over to ask her, maybe she’d let her take a tea pant or two. Fuyumi almost always had tea in her hands whether it in a teacup at home or in a bottle around the city, it would be nice to have something that reminded her of her friend in her personal space every day. Cactus'es were Sakura’s favorite though. Able to survive harsh conditions and prickly on the outside but soft on the inside and able to sprout a delicate flower still on top their needles. She could bring her cactus Gaara from home, she loved him so much with his one long skinny stump and a short round one. He had a teal flower on top of the tall stump, Naruto had seen it and a flower shop on day and immediately bought it for her. The flowers kind of matched Endeavor's eyes if she thought about it. 

“This means so much to me and makes me so happy! Thank you Enji!” Sakura yelled throwing herself onto him in a spur of the moment hug. 

In her joy she momentarily forgot she had accidentally used his first name and that it wasn’t appropriate to hug him so casually considering their situations and his wife. Tense at first from the sudden contact Endeavor slowly wrapped his arms around the small of her back returning the hug silently. She was so small compared to him, so delicate and fragile. Her head not even up to his shoulders. Endeavor rarely closed his eyes from being alert at all times but just this once he closed them as he quietly embraced the physical contract.


	11. What's the color of your fire?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 4th, Two years, one month, and two days into Sakura’s Support contract with Endeavor.

Ingrate, that’s what he was. He gave him more slack on his leash because he was needed, he was born to rise above All Might. Enji did not chain himself legally to a weak woman he did not love for this selfishness. He was perfection, his quirk was two sides of the coin. His refusal to use his quirk this far was a blatant slap in the face, Shoto knew his father observed from the shadows. All Might had taken an apprentice in that curly hair child Shoto was always following around, he was not as discreet as he thought. Endeavor was cut above the rest, he fished through all the files of his youngest son’s new classmates. That boy was quirk-less, or he should have been, he had seen all the reports he needed. The boy was tied in with his rival somehow, and that meant Shoto must defeat him. Just another obstacle for Endeavor, for Shoto. He had managed to elude his support hero long enough to slink away to find Shoto in the tunnels that entered and exited the arena. He would not let her hear or see this side of him, the less she knew the better. Now he stood face to face with his son his attention torn between watching for eavesdroppers and how to reprimand him before she found him. 

“You mock the mighty Todoroki quirk openly.” He began, “The whole of Japan is watching and you blatantly refuse to use the stronger half of your quirk. I am not stupid, I know this is not for strategy this is for defiance.” He finished scowl deepening by the second. 

Shoto’s mismatched eyes narrowed in to slits at the insinuation of his mother’s quirk being the lesser one two. He remained silent however, he knew it would bring fruitless results if he spoke even a word back. There was no winning with his father, anyone ever involved would learn this eventually. He knew moments like these were the only ones where he could rarely speak back to his father though. After that visit from the woman around five months ago he almost never had a moment alone with his father, for which he was thankful and resentful for. She had come over these few months occasionally to either visit his elder sister or meet her before heading out somewhere. His father only came home to the residence those days, he would always be there whenever they returned from their outings or after a respectful amount of time once their visit began. His sister feared bringing anyone into their cursed home and she had been inside the walls and left unscathed. Even sated his father’s outwards disapproval whenever she was present, he cared what she thought of him. 

“I will make a name for myself, of my own power. Not yours.” Shoto dared speak, the thoughts of the pinkette stirring his irritation guiltily. 

Endeavor’s flames billowed at that, them feeding off of their host’s emotions. Endeavor instead turned around leaving Shoto to his back. He did not leave his back open to other unless she was in the opposite direction of the forgotten. Peering around his father he saw her running to them excitedly shaking her hand at them for their attention, her vines unlooped from around her neck and arms. 

“Shoto!” Sakura huffed as she panted hands on her knees, “I wanted to find you to congratulate you on your progress! I just got distracted by a fellow pro-hero and lost track of time, sorry.” She apologized rubbing them back of her head sheepishly. 

Seeing her in person helped ease some of the irritation out of Shoto, it wasn’t her fault that she was tied in a support contract with someone he despised. She was a good person and Shoto struggled with the thought as he tried envisioning someone wholeheartly bright associating themselves with his shadow of a father. She was extremely kind to him and his siblings, his sister especially had needed someone to help usher her out of her shell. He tried to focus on his experience with her. Whenever they’d have tea, she would invite Shoto even knowing he would just sit silently resting his eyes back against the wall listening but never talking himself. Sometimes on their outings she’d coerce him into following saying they would need help with bags and such. He had grown fond of her but the more he did the more he worried she’d end up just like his mother. 

“Your apologies are not needed Sakura.” Shoto finally replied hyperaware of his father’s eyes on them. It was possible at one point or another Endeavor considered manipulating a relationship between his son and this woman for enriched grandchildren. Shoto was merely eight years her junior where as his father was twenty years her senior. Shoto did not believe his father considered this anymore, if anything he was wary of their interactions. 

“I love your quirk’s flair though! You must have trained it to be really strong to have all that ice remain a stable solid with summer on the horizon!” She grinned at him, her kind words were a nice breather from his father’s opposite. 

“He should be using his fire.” Endeavor ground out, he didn’t like her praising others in front of him or at all. 

“Maybe he doesn’t want to look like he’s just mimicking his father The Mighty Endeavor, nobody could live up to your legacy so let him breathe a little.” Sakura said, she was stroking his ego a little but it would satisfy him enough to possibly be more lenite with the poor boy. 

The only response she got was a huff of exasperation, her praise simmered him down somewhat. Grinning she turned to Shoto crossing her arms as she tried to look intimidating, “Knock em’ dead, but not literality please. But for me just sneak in maybe a little fire power? I want to see if your fire is the same color as his,” She whispered lower even though she knew Endeavor could still hear her, “Between you and me I think your fire is probably stronger so prove me wrong.” 

With that she began walking away with Endeavor chatting about something involving All Might if he heard correctly, perhaps that was who distracted her. Maybe just maybe Shoto would use just a twinge of fire for her so she could see the color was more yellow than his father’s orange-red. It was different but it wasn’t different like Toya’s, but the slight difference still mattered to him.


	12. We are here!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> June 17th, Two years, one month, and fifteen days into Sakura’s Support contract with

Not visiting the other classes seemed kind of like playing favorites but she was too busy to clear of an entire day’s schedule and she maybe just a little playing favorites. Shoto was in class 1-a and honestly, she was curious what he was like outside of his home and around peers, so choosing between classes 1-a and 1-b wasn’t really that hard. It wasn’t fair but next time she’d be fair and just in her decisions, now not so much. Today she was supposed to just answer simple questions the class had and be accompanied by fellow pro-hero All Might to give the students more than one insight and see if either gender played in with certain situations or regulations. The students were as well behaved as she thought for such young heroes in training of that age. Eraser Head had pretty much handed the reins over to the duo and plopped to the ground curled up an orange sleeping bag zipped to his chin stubble. Even if his antics unnerved most when it came to being the first line of defense for the students, she had no doubts personally. His quirk was perfect for defending them and she couldn’t think of anyone more capable for the job when it came down to it. Even if they were an eccentric bunch, she still remembered the whispers when she walked into the classroom. 

“Isn’t that your father’s support hero?” A boy with gel spiked red hair leaned back to whisper to an all too familiar rebellious boy that had only one of his father’s eyes. 

“Midoriya please put your notebook away.” A boy with short clipped navy hair whispered to a boy with unruly green hair. 

A short boy with purple grape like objects clinging to his head mumbled more to himself than others about perverted things that even she could barely hear, what she could make out though made her skin crawl and want to cover up. 

“Young Mineta you mustn’t talk about women like that, all pro-heroes must be valued and respected.” All Might had corrected, it seemed like his hushed voice wasn’t as low as he thought it was or possibly the pro-heroes hearing was too advanced from training. She wondered if this was normal for the boy and the thought repulsed her greatly. If all else failed Nezu wouldn’t punish her for an accidental thwomping, he enjoyed her connection to nature greatly for obvious reasons. Animals and nature went hand and hand. 

There were the usual questions she got like what is your quirk? How do you move them or do they move on their own accord? How did she choose her pro-hero name or costume? The questions mainly came from a curly green haired boy she learned was named Midoriya who scribbled everything she said down into a notebook and the boy with short clipped navy hair named Iida. He was Ingenium’s younger brother if she remembered correctly, his older brother was so immensely fond of him she recalled. Some other students chipped in with occasional questions of course but the majority was these two. Shoto did not ask any questions of her or All Might, which hurt her feelings just a little if she was being honest. She knew anything he already didn’t know he could ask in private next time she came over to the manor but it still made her pout slightly. He was just as quiet if not slightly more in his school environment but visibly less agitated, oh sweet teenage angst she thought tiredly. 

Iida’s hand shot up quickly to compete with Midoriya’s, “What if you have an already existing catch phrase and you gain a partner or are recruited into a team?” Iida questioned ready to soak up any information he could to better himself. 

“Excellent question young Iida! Catch phrases are important, sometimes they give citizens hope or fire up a crowd. Never forget to include your team or partner in it if you don’t act alone.” All Might proclaimed grinning wholeheartedly, everyone knew his catchphrase. 

“You change it slightly, make it fit you both.” Sakura finished for him, already knowing what was coming up. He did this a lot with her, a habit she thought was kind of funny. 

“Never fear, we are here!” All Might announced as he simultaneously hoisted Sakura up onto his shoulder making her appear even smaller than she was already. 

“It’s not really wise to be man handling your rival’s female support hero is it?” A boy with unruly blonde hair commented off handedly, he wasn’t trying to get a real answer. The question was rhetorical. 

“Now young Bakugo all pro-heroes must be acquainted with each other, I know young Sakura and would put her down if she so desired.” All Might supplied as he ruffled her hair, her vines gripped at his hand swatting it away playfully. All Might was a very happy go lucky man she had decided long ago. 

It was true they were acquainted well enough for heroes who never worked together. She had gotten a contract proposal from him as well in the beginning along with Endeavor’s, if she was mistaken, she believe she received his first actually. She had run into him a couple times at the police station when turning in villains to the police’s custody, he was there quite often. He was friends with Naomasa Tsukauchi one of the main police force detectives. Once she had broken top ten, he had personally found her to congratulate her on her progress and during the UA sports festival he was the one to distract her on her way to find Shoto before his next match. They got along well and she enjoyed chatting with him, it was a nice break in comparison to her very stoic companion Endeavor. 

A loud click sounded off with a small flash of white light snapping her out of her thoughts. Her eyes followed to the source seeing the student named Bakugo holding up his phone with a poker face of indifference. It was then Sakura realized she was still on All Might’s shoulder. 

Suddenly this situation had All Might sweating nervously, “Now now young Bakugo let’s not be hasty. What are you planning to do with that?” Still straight facing it Bakugo only moved his thumb to tap a command to his phone. 

Seconds ticked on in silence before Shoto started frowning deeply as his pocket started vibrating occasionally, which only meant Bakugo had somehow sent it to Endeavor. How had this child gotten his number? All Might caught on and put Sakura down and started getting extremely anxious once the vibrating was almost constant. Shoto loved to cause his father misery normally but not at his own expense. 

‘This will probably set back his mood for a while, I should probably pick up some kuzumochi from Eiko.’ Sakura thought ruefully.


	13. A gift too expensive to accept

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> August 4th, Two years, two months, and eighteen days into Sakura’s Support contract with Endeavor.

Endeavor was marking his territory; his gift was staking a claim. Whether she knew the implications or not it didn’t matter, others would take notice of it. One rarely changed or altered their pro-hero costume aside from warmer altercations made for the chillier winter weather. It was simple, a perfect replica of her costume except in his color. His fire’s unique color combination of orange-red was the linens color this time, and of course he had it sewn with custom enhanced cloth that was fire retardant even to his flames. It was a gracious gift meant for only her, worthy of her caliber. 

“Endeavor I can’t, it's too nice of a gift to keep.” She spoke as she tried pushing the box back into his hands, he would not let her reject his generosity. 

“It cannot be returned, it is custom made by my company’s design team not bought.” He countered, he had expected her to reject it but he would bend her to his will in this. 

She gasped shocked, “That makes it even more inappropriate to keep, it's too expensive of a gift to receive just because.” 

“Money is of no matter to me or my own, you have earned this token.” He reasoned. 

She chewed on her lip nervously as if contemplating, “I will accept it but I cannot wear this, I’m sorry.” She looked away embarrassed. 

“Why?" His tone reflected no emotions or reaction. 

“This color is special to me; my costume was made by someone dear to me. They are not in this world anymore and so I still wear it in memory of them even years later. I could not have the heart to change it now.” She whispered as she looked off as if visiting a memory mentally. 

“I understand.” He told her, breaking her out of her bittersweet thoughts. Meeting his eyes she smiled at him even though it didn’t fully reach her eyes. 

“However, I will demand them to recreate your current costume in this enhanced fabric instead of your current low quality one.” He added, his lips turning up slightly on the corners. 

“Hey! That’s rotten! I had this made at sixteen like six years ago!” She grumbled at his jab all sense of sorrow long gone from her thoughts. 

“At least mine is fire retardant.” He responded as if it made things better. 

“Yeah but it’s not MY color.” She bit back, her only response was him looking silently at her fingernails, “That’s different and you know it.” She ground out. 

He looked unimpressed at her antics and stood silently as if he was waiting for her tantrum to end. 

“I can’t publicly wear that color anyway; my mother wears it constantly or well she used too. I don’t know anymore, I haven’t been home in years. I don’t want her to see it on TV or in a magazine and think I’m wearing her color.” She whispered more to herself than him.


	14. Don't look at me with those eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> September 21st ,Two years, three months, and two days into Sakura’s Support contract with Endeavor.   
> Warning graphic content ahead.

“I respect you Medicinal Snare so I will spare you and your partner but be wary of the company you keep.” Stain advised as he wiped Endeavor’s excess blood off of his blade. 

Disappearing into the night’s shadows Sakura still stood on alert defensively in front of Endeavor as Stain’s quirk slowly faded away. A wet cough caused Sakura to tense her eyes wide in panic as she turned her back on the direction The Hero Killer departed in, was Endeavor hurt more than she thought? Rationality losing to fear she did not guard her back as she sunk to her knees frantically searching him with her hands for any injuries. His eyes followed her delicate fingers path while his body still held suspended frozen in time. After letting out a wet sounding laugh in relief that he wasn’t injured more than the long cut he got defending her from the very blade that cut him she thought she had possibly imagined the cough in her panicked mind until she heard it again. Snapping her head up she remembered why they came; Pro-Hero Fatal Frame had sent out a distress message about an S-Class villain to any and all nearby pro-heroes. Scrambling to her feet she almost tripped over her own limp vines as she fell to her knees sharply in front of the source of the wet cough. Fatal Frame had been sliced almost in half across his mid-section, his hands rested against his abdomen in a halfhearted try in applying pressure before the blood had become too much. His mechanical lens eye was the only one open at the moment, the other was closed halfway as his eye rolled back into his head only exposing white to the world. 

“Hey! I need you to look at me!” Sakura demanded as her vines began coiling themselves on top of his destroyed mid-section. 

She could see the faintest twitching of his eyelid as he tried his hardest to hold on, she didn’t even know if he could hear the world anymore from wherever his conscious floated at. Her quirk needed focus to function, it fed off of her emotions so it was taking longer than expected for the vines to start their budding. As her vines tried to continue their work, she set her hands to slapping his face trying to get him to look at her, he couldn’t fall asleep or else he wouldn’t wake up again. She would regret her grave mistake. His eye stopped rolling back and focused hazily on her and her vines faltered going limp as the buds began wilting and blew away petal by petal slowly among the cold breeze. Her breath left her as she got caught in a staring contest, she would never be able to break. Blue, the word repeated inside her mind like some sick diseased mantra. All she could see was blue, his blue. He had Naruto’s eyes. Snapping out of her daze she found he had laid one of his hands on the nest of vines on his still bleeding abdomen. Still bleeding, so much blood. It was touching her again; his blood would never leave her vines would it? Why wouldn’t her vines move? Why were they numb, why couldn’t she feel them anymore she thought frantically. Why wouldn’t they respond? Why? Why? Why? She desperately brought her hands to her vines trying to feel them, why couldn’t see feel herself touching her vines? Her neck cracked at the sudden harsh movement of her searching his eyes. Cold. Blurry. Glazed. She lost him again. Why did he jump in front of her! Why didn’t her vines work in the heat of the moment! Why would he leave her? She couldn’t live knowing she should have died in his place! Sakura began clawing at her earlobes where her vines sprouted, they were indestructible but her flesh wasn’t. Soon blood started getting underneath her fingernails and trickling down her fingers and vines. Endeavor could only watch as his support hero lost herself over the edge of sanity maiming her own body in a crazed break. His wife Rei flashed before his eyes, the look she held in her eyes when she finally shattered mentally and scarred her very own child in her insanity. The same one she took hits for, enduring pain and punishment on his behalf when sane. He tried flexing his fingers and he was successful but that was all he could move, he had to watch as Sakura crumbled before in mere feet away. She had eventually curled into herself still tearing at her own ears in grief long before he regained control of his own body. He knew reinforcements were not needed for a corpse and escaped villain so he postponed alerting the police force. Other Pro-Heroes who got the distress call would be here any minute now. No, his priorities resided elsewhere. He sat in the pool of cold blood that puddled on the cement not caring for his costume as he pulled Sakura into his arms. Her bloodied fingers gripped his costume tightly relenting from her assault on her pitiful ears, she sobbed into his chest mumbling to herself. He doubted she even knew who was holding her. 

“I killed him again, they failed us again.” She choked out as her knuckles turned white, her limp vines twitching sporadically. 

Looking over nothing struck him as familiar, he had not been an acquaintance of them. He did not deserve this level of grief from her. He noticed the sole human eye of the dead boy resembled the one of the boy in her picture on her desk, her previous hero partner. Understanding passed through his eyes as he watched her continue to mumble hurtful things to herself. 

“Weak, I don’t deserve to live instead. You were the pro-hero.” She choked out between sobs that wracked her tiny body. 

Weak. No one amounted to his standards, no one. But her. She was not weak, she was the only exception to him. The only one deserving of being considered his equal, she had earned her place beside him on their pedestal over-looking the world beneath them. The world did not deserve her, he wouldn’t let her settle for less. No one was worthy except him, he was the exception to her. 

“You are not weak, you are the only exception.” He told her as she sobbed into him. 

The sirens grew louder as they became slowly closer. He did not get up however, he sent the police officers a look that warned them of disturbing her, of them. They recovered the body and took pictures as he still sat bottoms sticking to the drying blood beneath him, it was her blood too mixed in so it did not disgust him. Eventually the responding officers couldn’t let them sit in quiet and had to ask questions. Endeavor got up the only sound left was the sound of him prying himself from the sticking blood, Sakura had long abandoned her cries. She only looked out into the distant, a vacant look in her eyes. 

“Endeavor we must ask questions to fill in the report and to tell the family, we need you and your support hero at the station.” He said eying Sakura warily, she looked so pitiful in his arms. If it wasn’t for her soft breathing, he would have guessed she was just another corpse from the scene. 

“My partner,” He corrected steel evident in his voice, “will be escorted to my manor by an officer and will not be left alone until both of my children are in her presence in my absence.” 

Her safety was reassured inside his residence whether he was there or not, his children would not fail him. He knew this without a doubt, she would always be safe inside his walls.


	15. Hold me like I'm more than just a friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> December 23rd ,Two years, five months, and two days into Sakura’s Support contract with Endeavor.

Readjusting her strap for the millionth time Sakura nervously bit her lip, she had never worn his gift before. It was too nice and expensive for anything that wasn’t important or special. Steeling her frayed nerves, she pushed through the cold metal doors that separated her from the pro-hero winter celebration that the students of UA catered. Immediately her gaze went to scan for him but instead she found her vision obscured by a brilliant ice blue suit donned by none other than All Might himself. 

“Ah, Sakura! I like what you did with your vines, it’s very elegant but simple.” He complimented her as his usual smile graced his face. 

Not wanting her vines to get in the way of her jewelry or outfit she had rolled them up into twin buns and let a few of her pale pink flowers bloom through-out them. It was a spur of the moment detail she had done after she was already dressed and worried about the leaves tangling with her necklace chord. 

Feeling her face flush Sakura placed a hand to her chest subconsciously touching said necklace, “Thank you All Might, that’s very sweet of you.” 

“Sakura please we’ve talked about this, please call me Toshinori.” His face started heating up until he noticed where her hand was, “Oh, you’re wearing the necklace finally! That brings joy to my heart!” He laughed wholeheartedly. 

The necklace was one from her toy line with Mr. Akifumi, it was a chibi version of her head with her grinning with her vines as the chord. All Might proclaimed all Heroes needed to have at least one of their many memorabilia so they would be reminded that the citizen’s loved them enough to buy things with their likeness. It was a sweet unexpected gift, one which she did feel thankful for. 

Rubbing her head sheepishly she smiled slightly as the nerves melted away, “That’s a relief, I love it honestly. I can’t wear it when on duty from fear of it breaking but I wear it to bed with my pajamas whenever I don’t just crash in my costume.” 

As they laughed carefree the curly haired boy named Midoriya came up with a platter of champagne flutes, “Medicinal Snare I have that exact necklace!” He proclaimed inspecting it as the platter faltered almost tipping at his excitement. 

“Young Midoriya please remember personal space.” All Might reprehended throwing an arm around him while he pulled him back slightly. 

“It’s alright Toshinori, he’s just being himself. Just don’t drop the glasses, Nezu won’t be happy.” She grinned cheekily as she ruffled his green hair fondly. 

“Though if you excuse me, I have to find someone.” Sakura offered as she waved her hand off as she departed deeper into the party. 

Finding Endeavor wasn’t usually this hard, he always found her whenever she was near. Especially whenever his rival All Might was involved, perhaps he wasn’t here yet. She didn’t have long to ponder this as another person’s hand snaked around her waist, she could easily tell without looking that it was female. Turning her head slightly she found Midnight beside her, she was grinning deviously which only meant she wanted to gossip. 

“Looking for your man Medicinal Snare? How lucky you are to have one. I could only hope.” She sighed dramatically leaning back as if she’d swoon. 

“I am single Midnight, you’ve seen Heroes Pursuer magazine and their many articles.” She sighed already tired of Midnight’s antics, perhaps Endeavor’s patience had rubbed off on her after all these years, “We are not like that, I am his support hero and you know this. Plus, he’s married.” She whispered that last part into her glass as she went to take a sip. 

“I heard rumors they were separated,” Midnight voiced aloud as she held her chin in mock thought, “Mistress then.” She joked poking Sakura in the forehead. 

“Where are your boys then? Hopefully Present Mic isn’t drunk causing mischief with his quirk.” Sakura snipped looking for Midnight’s childhood friends. 

“Pft no, even if he was, he’d be eating all of the cheese at the concession tables and student’s platters.” She huffed 

“You mean eating all of the only thing Nezu likes at these things.” Sakura baited. 

With a look of panic Midnight unlinked from around Sakura’s waist and left in the direction of the food most likely as she cursed silently under her breath. Exhaling from relief Sakura set back on her path to find her partner. She couldn’t blame Midnight for prying and being nosy, the trash magazines had gotten worse as of late when it came to her romantic life. Japan’s top hero magazine Heroes Pursuer had recently crowned Sakura Japan’s top Bachelorette after this year’s poll closed, soon after hundreds of articles were being featured about her hidden secret family or mystery lover in trash magazines. Ranging from one extreme to the next, some claimed she was involved with another top ten pro-hero behind the scenes and others claimed perhaps she was involved with the Hero Killer Stain himself since he had spared Endeavor and herself in an encounter. The worse were those claiming she was her partner’s mistress using photos of her leaving Eiko’s with him or even the photo of her sobbing in Endeavor’s arms as she broke down. Her mind taking a turn for the worse she downed her champagne flute before walking off trying to clear her mind of these things. Her feelings had been getting messy these past few months and she shoved them down pretending they didn’t exist. His proclamation of respect only stirred her inner turmoil more, she knew he didn’t respect anyone but himself. If Endeavor wanted to see her, he would have to come to her. Searching for him only caused her to look like a fool and enticed the rumors that already circled. She would entertain herself for the time being. 

“Medicinal Snare, you look so casual but with just the right touch of refinement for tonight's festivities.” A smooth baritone voice spoke breaking her concentration. 

The new arrival was no other than pro-hero Best Jeanist, they were acquainted well enough considering her designated patrol route bordered his. He still wasn’t showing his face even in civilian clothes she noted, his royal blue scarf covered just as much of his face as his costume did. She momentarily wondered if his face was unsightly and that’s why it remained hidden but she dismissed the thought just as quick. What she could see didn’t allude to him being unattractive underneath his cover, it was most likely just his style. 

“Thank you Best Jeanist, you look great as well tonight. Still hiding your face, I see.” She joked as she nudged his shoulder with hers. 

“I would gladly undress to show you.” He offered his right hand on his scarf. 

“No, no it’s fine. Mystery is attractive, keep eluding the women.” She flustered, the way he worded his sentence flustered her beyond embarrassment. 

“Ah well for consolation at rejection would you grace my presence with a dance.” He offered with his hand out waiting patiently for her voiced answer. 

Deciding she had nothing better to do she took his hand and danced with him, only for one dance though she told herself. He was a gentleman even as he danced, his hands never strayed from her waist and never tried to relocate themselves anywhere else. He kept a respectable distance between their chests, ever cordial. The song was slow and they chatted a little to keep themselves busy. Just casual things that never pried or became too personal, it was nice. She wondered why he was interested in her, he believed that people with influence must maintain a positive appearance both physically and socially and right now her social status wasn’t appearing so squeaky clean. She found herself staring at his eyes and she thought of how pretty he’d be if they were blue instead of green. The suggestion struck disgust into her very core, she wondered why she would think things like this out of nowhere and felt guilt slink into her heart at the suggestion of altering someone else’s appearance. Thankfully the song ended however and she didn’t have to waste any more time on these thoughts. Before she could think of an excuse to dismiss herself Endeavor chose that very moment to make his presence known by standing behind Best Jeanist. 

“Endeavor what a wonderful expected surprise, you are never far from your dear support are you now?” Best Jeanist smiled, no one but Endeavor and himself understood the implications of his seemingly respectful words. 

Instead of waiting for an answer he knew he wouldn’t be graced with Best Jeanist decided to turn away from his fellow top ten pro-hero and bowed to Sakura, “Save another dance for me if you wouldn’t mind.” He said as he grabbed her hand while he bowed before walking away. 

Endeavor stood silent as he watched Best Jeanist disappear into the crowd his arms crossed against his chest. He was wearing a standard black suit with a white button up shirt it seemed, the only real personal touch was his tie being red. His flames were activated slowly burning around his chin and upper lip even off duty, he rarely was plain faced around others. 

“You couldn’t even turn off the flames for tonight?” Sakura questioned as she scanned the crowd absent mindedly, she could feel his eyes on her face even now as she looked away. 

His eyes never left her face as she looked everywhere but at him, it pleased him that she wore his colors tonight for the rest of the world to see even if she didn’t understand their meaning. It did not please him however that she had found company in another’s arms while wearing his colors, she should have sought him out when she first entered the room all that time ago. He had been awaiting her arrival and had been also watching the entrance for her, he saw her interact with that American poser All Might and was proud of her ability to quietly dismiss herself on her own. However, he had expected of her to reject the number three pro-hero's proposal to dance. She did not and he indulged her petty whim and did not intrude until the song was over. He would excuse one dance but not more. She was his even if she did not know it yet. Enji outstretched his hand to her waiting for her to accept his hand for this one dance. Sakura accepted his hand and followed him to the corner of the dance floor away from the center not caring who was watching them. He wasn’t dead like he was but he was just as out of reach for her no matter how far she outstretched her desperate arms, so just for this moment she would pretend there was a glimmer of hope for them. As he wrapped his arms around her waist and her his neck, she could fool herself into thinking he would hold her as more than just a friend, like lovers do. What if she never loved again is what repeated like a diseased mantra inside her head when she lost Naruto, but what if there was no tomorrow because she lost her heart to this forbidden man instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's end was written with Adele's song "All I ask" in mind, I feel as if it describes their relationship dynamics extremely well. Possibly Julia Micheal's song "Issues" would describe them as well!


	16. Valentine's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> February 14th ,Two years, six months, and twenty-two days into Sakura’s Support contract with Endeavor.

He never thought he'd despise flowers so much as he did right now. Her desk looked as his someone took a grenade filled with flowers and threw it at her desk. That wasn't it all though, said grenade contained chocolates, stuffed animals, homemade cards, love letters, and well-meaning trinkets. He had told his secretary to decline any gifts or mail sent on today to his partner but she had decided to clock into work earlier than usual today and he couldn't make such an order in front of her. So, this is where he sat now, watching her out of the corner of his eye as she opened gift upon gift and cooed at the small plants and flowers sent her way. She had insisted she could work today until their usual time meaning she had no romantic escapades tonight for which he was thankful for. All regular gifts were delivered in the early morning with the regular post whereas specialty gifts from people of importance like other Pro-Heroes were sent throughout the day at random times from errand boys. These gifts he watched closely trying his hardest not to let her know he was looking. Some gifts the errand boy would name out loud who sent them and others didn't say who they were from, those he tried to locate a name on the tag or note. Not many Pro-Heroes had the audacity to gift her anything, everyone but her caught on to his intentions. This earned him many reactions, almost all negative. Looks of disgust because he was married or because his eldest was her age, ones of fear for her safety and protection, and the occasional challenging glint in a male's eye for her affections. Their opinions never mattered to him and that hadn't changed. They could look down their nose at him if they chose however, she would still belong to him upon their pedestal above everyone else in the world. He had no real competition for her affections, he could see how she guarded herself from him now a days. She was trying in vain to reject her attraction, even if she was oblivious to his she still was aware of her own. He would wear her down eventually, he was already without getting his hands too dirty. She had nested herself into his life, family and work wise. Her would not let her uproot herself so easily once she found how deep she had dug her hole. 

"More gifts for Medicinal Snare." His assistant Utada spoke emotionlessly as she strode into the room her black angled bob swaying as she stepped, her hands holding a box of gifts. 

Looking up Sakura stopped poking a plump teddy bear with her custom pen, it was covered in a flower pattern. Cherry Blossoms if he recalled correctly. 

"Thank you, Utada! I'm so sorry for my mail to be such a hassle for you!" Sakura fretted as she took the box from the taller woman's hands. 

"It is my job ma'am, do not worry about my personal feelings." She replied evenly before disappearing. He had chosen his assistant based on the fact she was so demure and professional but he felt personally wronged when she talked so emotionlessly to Sakura. 

Casting his gaze to his partner he saw her chewing her bottom lip nervously, whoever had sent the gifts had stirred something in her. He did not like the implications he got from her face. She wasn't opening them right away as she had done with the others and it bothered him for what it could mean. His quest for answers overpowered his previous course of not being caught looking and he turned his head towards her desk completely. The components of the box were few, letters attached to gifts as usual with their acquaints. However, what caught his eye was a jewelry box with Akifumi's company logo. The toy maker rarely dabbled in jewelry but when he did it was always a custom order that came with a hefty price. The implications of the rectangular black velvet box caused his flames to ignite subconsciously. Who dared send his something so personal, there were few who openly challenged his claim knowing his intentions and he had their disrespectful faces memorized. Movement caused his thoughts to stop permanently as they were curious what was in the offending box. Whatever it was he would need to buy something better to replace it so she would have no need to wear it. As Sakura slowly opened it as if it was a bomb, she gasped audibly at the jewelry piece. It was not a ring thankfully, only a simple yet expensive necklace. A creamy pink tinted pearl served as the center piece of a cherry blossom flower made of silver, it was simple yet artfully crafted. Snapping it shut as if she had seen a ghost Sakura ripped the tag off of the box's outer bottom and read fast, her eyes darting back and forth very visibly. He could not read the writing from where he was, the paper was creme colored with silver writing which could barely be seen. He suppressed a growl knowing it was done intentionally so it could be read with privacy around others, he wasn't foolish. His rival All Might was not so smart enough to use a trick like that or to commission a necklace from Sakura's personal favorite artesian. No, that left only one possible option for which this mystery cretin. 

"What does the note say?" Enji questioned, his pride could wait this once. Their earlier advances he barely excused if only due to their close ranking in the spotlight and them occurring in view of witnesses, but a personal attack like this would not be forgiven. 

Best Jeanist had first shown interest at the Pro-Hero winter party, and he had only gotten more adamant in his advances. Patrolling his territory when she would be on her day off completing errands in the busy shopping district that fell into his jurisdiction, running into her when she had an appointment with Akifumi for a new toy line, and even so much as requesting her to join him in visiting UA for teaching purposes. Because their quirks were similar in being able to grapple and bind villains he had supplied. 

"What?" Sakura voiced as she released her bottom lip, the action would have stirred something primal in him if it had not been for the immense anger simmering just below the surface of his calm exterior. 

"It's a note from Best Jeanist," His eyes narrowed darkly at her words but she continued, "I declined his offer for company tonight yesterday and it just says even though I didn't accept his offer he still sends his regards and the gift he bought me." She supplied as she eyed the note with a look he couldn't decipher. She gave him answers so easily, she did not have such a relationship with anyone else other than him. She was not this close with that man as she was him, and she would never be once he had his way. There was no if, only when. 

"Did you reject him solely because of your obligation to work today?" He pried keeping any emotions off of his face, he had to play this game correctly if he was to win over another player. 

As if sensing his souring mood, she became flustered at trying to stop it, "It's not a problem that I had to work today! I swear! I wanted to work with you!" She blundered waving her hands frantically, "I didn't want you to be alone today." She whispered sadly. 

She still believed his marriage was one filled with love and he hadn't thought how to approach the subject yet without gaining a negative response from her. He wanted her to think he was capable of love, he just needed to think of how to approach the subject without changing her opinion of him in the negative. Now was not the time however. 

"You're free to ask for more free time if it suppresses your love life." He voiced, it was an empty offer since he knew she would decline it from fear of not appearing professional. 

He only offered to appeal to her since she craved freedom after her childhood with her mother. Once in passing she mentioned her mother and he decided to pry since she rarely spoke of her family and he wondered if he'd have another obstacle to conquer. According to her, her mother was a controlling woman who coupled with Sakura's docile father smothered her. Trying to tell her who she could have as company, where she would work as a Pro-Hero because of her rare quirk, and so much more. One night her childhood friend had stood up to her mother in her stead and her mother ordered her to not see him anymore. Her mother woke up the next morning to all of her daughter's belongings gone, she had left with her friend in the night scared of the thought that her whole life would continue to be dictated by another. This childhood friend was the very same from her school report of accidentally healing and future Pro-Hero partner and lover. He detested the thought of another being loved by her or touching her but he was dead to this world, and you can't compete with a dead man. Enji was here breathing and ready to offer her the world, he was not and never would be. 

Sakura's face exploded into varying shades of red as she nervously slammed her hands on her desk as she stood, "No, no I don't need extra time for that! I don't need a romantic life if I have you!" She yelled flustered beyond comprehension, as if realizing the implications behind her words she gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, "I mean I'm satisfied with my life as it is! I don't have the need to change anything!" 

Change anything for now he added mentally as he watched her being flustered and babbling embarrassed. 

"We will take our break and go to Eiko's before we start our patrol." He ordered as he began leaving the office smirking slightly. It was far from a confession but it would do for now.


	17. Blue fire in the dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> March 5th, Two years, six months, and twenty-four days into Sakura’s support contract with Endeavor

She was determined to increase patrols in their city to counteract the panic the Hero Killer incident caused. Endeavor had recently renewed their contract and proclaimed she was now worthy of being his Pro-Hero partner not just a lowly support, no she was his equal now and deserved to think no less. He gave her a share of his patrol route for her to use by herself to claim as her own, every top Pro-Hero had an established route and area they had jurisdiction over. She loved it personally, the new route was one she had never patrolled before. It was less safe than his usual route however, there were countless dark damp alleyways and uncrowded streets for her to patrol. They would pick up gradually, the presence of the number five Pro-Hero would cause villains to pick other meeting places than the alleyways of Azusa or Hideko street. Today she was on Sasaki street, it bordered the border between her area and Best Jeanist’s. He had told her to call on him if she ever needed assistance with her patrol or help with a high-class villain since he was only streets away. She wouldn’t take him up on his offer though if she could help it, he was very obviously into her but she couldn’t recuperate even if she wanted to. They were too in the spotlight for her to start a romance with him they would never get any privacy, and the backlash if things didn’t work out also weighed heavy on her mind. There were also her own personal feelings weighing even heavier on her mind, her heart was being finickily lately. It wanted two things she’d never have and it tormented her with its constant want. Snapping her head to the side she saw a flicker of movement in the shadowy alleyway to her right, she started checking the street to make sure no citizens were near to be harmed if anything happened. Deciding the empty street would probably remain empty she turned down the alleyway, she thought of calling Endeavor or Best Jeanist but she chose not to. She was Endeavor’s equal and she would not disappoint him. The shadow had decided to not move from its spot against the cement wall, it was too dark to see any facial features yet. That was until a blue fire illuminated his face. He was heavily scarred and had oil black hair, it looked unnatural and probably dyed. His grin was lazy and it angered her slightly that he hadn’t moved from his spot yet or even looked at her. 

“What are you doing here sir?” Sakura asked stopping a mere ten feet away. 

“Four, only four heroes are approved by Stain and the pure life style of him and his perfect world. All Might, Eraser Head, a curly haired teenage boy, and you. I wonder why he approves of you.” He spoke casually as if he was just voicing his own thoughts out loud, “He even gave you a pass when you interfered with a killing, even when you chose to show up with a Pro-Hero he would never approve. I wonder why you’re so special.” 

Finally, he looked at her and when he did her breath left her in a soft huff, his eyes were beautiful. They weren’t as teal as Endeavor’s but not as pure blue like Naruto’s, they were somewhere in the middle with a touch of grey mixed in. He was too beautiful to be a villain, even with the scars. 

“Pro-Heroes don’t become who they are for holy reasons anymore, it's about money, power, women. Stain has opened the whole of Japan to the flaws and cracks in society’s foundation. I won’t kill you because even he left you unscathed, but I will hurt you. Because you interest me Medicinal Snare.” He drew on starting to bore her, he was just another low-level villain hyped up by Stain’s proclamation to the world. She would not waste her time with him! 

Uncoiling her vines, they struck like pythons trying to wrap around him in a death like strength meant to hold him hostage. Instead he extinguished his flame dragging them into darkness. She missed as he dodged under the cover of the thick shadow, her vines suspended themselves in front of her in a protective stance as she wildly looked around for any sign of him. Searching everywhere in a frantic pace she failed to realize he was behind her until he struck the back of her skull with his elbow. Crying out she sent her vines behind her as she held her head in one of her hands, she was blind in the dark and so were her vines. They were an extension of her, another set of limbs not a sole entity on their own. She was improving in hand to hand because of her lessons with Rabbit Hero but she was still lacking greatly, she relied on her vines too much and too often in a fight. 

“Is this all you have mighty hero?” His voice mocked, he threw his voice and she couldn’t figure out where exactly it came from. 

Growling she readied herself for his next attack knowing her only chance at the upper hand was letting him grab her. He came his knee meeting her spine, grunting through the pain she turned and grabbed him with her bare hands and pinned him to the wall. Triumph was short lived however as he took advantage of her close distance and threw them both to the ground. Now she was pinned. 

“Wanted physical contact hm?” He whispered into her ear, she could feel his breath on her ear and momentarily it distracted her. Until she punched him in the jaw that is. 

They continued like this for a while, her energy slowly leaking out of her over time. She would think she had the upper hand but he would pin her at the last moment, even if his jabs didn’t continue, she could feel that there was a lazy smirk on his face every time. She’d wiggle free land a hit or two and then they’d continue the cycle, an endless loop. Every time it’d get more physical, the touches longer and longer. His flame lit on each finger on his right hand giving her just enough light to see his eyes, his face. Eventually he just stared at her not moving, not even smirking anymore. Something unreadable passed across his face and she couldn’t find it in her to push him off, why was he letting her wiggle free? Why was he so carefree? Why was he looking at her like that with those eyes of his? He kissed her. It happened so fast she couldn’t even believe it was happening at first. All of the feelings of unrequited love, loneliness, hopelessness, and grief came crashing down on her. She let herself cry silently as she returned the kiss, an angry kiss of teeth and tongue. Nobody would know, nobody had to know. He took he in the alley, she let him. She thought it would be the last time but there were many more to come.


	18. Proclaiming his intentions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> July 13th, Two years, ten months, and eight days into Sakura’s support contract with Endeavor.

Enji hadn’t visited his wife once since she had been admitted into the hospital all those years ago, he had only come to make sure she would sign the papers and to be told of his intentions. She had cried tears of joy, she did not love him and could never forgive him so his declaration had been something she thought forever unattainable. Rei's sobs turned from cries of joy and relief into grief and guilt once she had caught on to why he would deface his public image with something as unsightly as divorce, he had found someone else while she was imprisoned. Her sobs weren't of envy or jealously no they were of pain and fear, fear for the poor soul who would soon take her place. She had an idea of who this woman was. the nurses allowed her television, she knew the flowers she received every Monday were cut from his support hero's very own vines. He never sent her flowers, even as she was in here and even before. The past few months she grew anxious and her personal nurses feared a relapse in her sanity, he was different. 

He encouraged his children to see her, she knew now it wasn't out of kindness but so she would have something to cling onto when she was released. Her children had begun changing as well. Fuyumi had come out of her shell, she'd stutter less and was surer of herself around others. It only took two visits for her to put two and two together that her daughter's newest and only friend was also her husband's support. She had never been visited by her youngest Shoto since the incident, whether it was because he resented her until recently or because her husband wouldn't allow it, she didn't know. He came shortly after the UA sports festival which her nurses thankfully allowed her to watch, his father gave him permission to visit without consequences he told her. The way he stared with a look of jumbled emotions at the vase of flowers at her bedside caused her to think maybe it was Medicinal Snare's doing that allowed her these visits. She knew she was testing boundaries when she asked him about his father's support but she honestly wanted to know more about the sweet young woman who sent her flowers every week never missing a week ever. He spoke of how close Fuyumi had gotten to her, how they were roughly the same age. Of their outings on which they recently started dragged Shoto along also, he spoke of how he'd just sit silently in the room with them whenever she visited as not to offend her and to watch over them. 

His mother knew better, he missed having a mother and this girl's mannerisms and reactions to him fed this hole. She wasn't bitter, only thankful that someone had been watching over her children in her absence protecting them from their father like she never could have. Enji had offered her a place in his manor, any room she wanted knowing she wouldn't want to stay in their old bedroom. He had renovated his company building and added a bedroom and personal bathroom attached to his main office on the top floor, he did not personally live at his residence. It was more for the children, and to keep up appearances. She would be able to live with her children again, see them in the morning and make them breakfast before school. He offered alimony too, a credit card to buy whatever she needed no questions asked no matter the price. He owed her these things he said, for her to be able to move on and start life her way. 

There was one condition though, his partner would be allowed free movement around the manor to see her friend, their eldest daughter. She had asked if he meant the petite support hero, in which he sternly corrected her that she was his partner not below him as a lowly support. That bit shocked her, never once had he considered anyone his equal and yet this short pastel woman was allowed on his pedestal with him as he looked down his nose at the world. She would replace her but not in the same way, he wouldn't strike or belittle this woman, no she had his respect. This filled her with dread and worry for when the poor girl would slip up and not meet his impossible standards anymore, she felt guilt at the way her freedom came at a price. For him however everything was falling into place perfectly, he did not realize that his absence today would cause a terror too great for his support to handle alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT PLEASE READ! There will be a time skip next chapter and my already existing story "The World" is the in between of this chapter and the next one. If you have already read it please re-read it because I have edited it and added more stuff.


	19. Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is immediately after the one-shot "The World" which was revised once since its first upload.

Citizens panicked as Best Jeanist ran huffing into the emergency room of Sakurai Hospital carrying a crumpled female body later announced as Medicinal Snare. Japan's beloved number five Pro-Hero had been attacked horrifically in her very own jurisdiction left unresponsive to anything and everything. Emergency room occupants forgot their own reasons for hurting as they listened in for Best Jeanist to explain to the doctors what had happened as they placed her on a hospital stretcher, the word rape was heard though most were too shocked and had believed they had heard wrong while eavesdropping. Suddenly panicking citizens called loved ones for many reasons; making sure they were safe inside in case the monster was still unarrested, asking if they had heard or seen anything, and just to simply gossip with others. Medicinal Snare's name was on the television on every news channel within minutes, reporters swarmed outside the hospital's doors hoping to find out any information on the rumors and alleged attack. Pro-Heroes abandoned their posts or classrooms to rush to the hospital for their fellow Pro-Hero. Most guarded the outside of the hospital trying to keep citizens and reporters out, others patrolled the halls with fear her attacker would appear again, the remaining ones who were close to her tried to be inside the examination room with her for support only for the doctors to shove them out for her privacy. After questions were answered even Best Jeanist the one to find and carry her to safety was not allowed inside the room anymore. The doctors had to start treating her wounds immediately, there were burn marks in the shape of fingers all over her body and they needed to be cared for so they wouldn't need to be removed for a skin graph replacement. They needed to make sure her assailant hadn't ripped her sex or caused permanent damage inside her. Midnight had tried to call Endeavor but her call was not answered at his office, his assistant said he was out on personal business. His cellphone wouldn't pick up and when his children said he wasn't home she ended the call with a growl. Unbeknownst to her he had seen the news on the television in his wife's room at Mikuya Hospital and had already left for the other hospital. Endeavor forced himself into the room she was being held in, the staff could not stop him. He would kill them if they tried. Inside the room he slammed the door shut behind him ignoring the shouts of the hospital staff, turning to the sole other occupant in the room he told them to leave. At first the doctor protested but once Endeavor activated his flames the doctor cowered away in fear and left them alone. She looked so small in the simple hospital bed, so frail. Nothing like how he remembered her just yesterday. Only parts of her showed from beneath the pristine sheet. Her hair was singed a dirty black in a single clump on the top of her head, a bite mark that had drawn blood was surrounded by a blooming bruise. He couldn't see the burn marks on her thigh or waist but that did not lessen the pain he felt seeing her after she had crumbled and been broken in a way that was too far even in his mind. See slept with a death like quietness that unnerved him, yet he let her sleep. Because the pain she felt now physically would be lessened by the IV in her arm by the time she woke up on her own. For once he was thankful for Best Jeanist being so adamant in answering and helping Sakura whenever she would call or ask. If he had not come to her aid, no Endeavor wouldn't think about that. Not now, not as she laid asleep before him with tubes and needles in her arm. She cried when she woke up, loud body wracking sobs that chilled him to his core. She was weak but that was fine, her weakness was not her fault. She was strong, she would prevail again one day. She didn't know what to tell him so when she finished her sobbing after she woke up, she stared at the wall avoiding his gaze, she didn't know how long they sat like this but eventually a doctor came in. When the doctor asked him to leave, he refused, Sakura told him to leave. She didn't lift her gaze until she heard the door click shut. The doctor examined her and asked her if she was okay enough to answer some questions to the police, even though she wasn't okay she said yes. She gave out his description, his quirk, his villain name, everything she knew about him that they needed. Dabi was a shadow villain like Eraser Head was a shadow Pro-Hero, there would be no information or files on him and she knew this as she told them everything they needed in vain. Sensing her unease, the doctor asked if she wanted visitors, she told them no. Endeavor didn't come back into the room but he didn't leave the hospital either. She knew him better than that. The Pro-Hero council had declared her assailant still on the loose, many feared where he was and if he'd attack again. His description was applied to many fliers posted everywhere they could stick, he was wanted dead or alive. Usually Pro-Heroes were not to use their quirks with the intention to kill however many Pro-Heroes publicly expressed they would kill him on sight for his crime. The police had to allow this exception once or else at least two Pro-Heroes would be forced to retire, one more than already necessary. Medicinal Snare was declared retired from active Pro-Hero duty and it was met with outrage. Women feared that if the top five Pro-Hero wasn't safe than how were they, a few accused Medicinal Snare of weakness for not being able to handle her own trauma knowing as a hero it could of happened at any moment, and others called for Dabi's blood. Nobody knew that their relationship was once a consensual one before the rape. Even without that knowledge horrendous citizens already whispered that it was all a ruse, a government cover up for the fact Medicinal Snare was caught having relations with a criminal lover. Sakura did not want to retire but the publicity became too much and she was forced to, until her recovery so she'd have time to focus on herself they said. She was forcibly removed from her home and was ordered to stay with either her old partner or All Might for safety reasons. She chose All Might. She was weak, her weakness allowed her to form a relationship with Dabi through loneliness and she didn't want to face Endeavor. He would see her as how she really was, weak. If he knew how she had gotten into the situation with Dabi he would be disgusted with her. When she was to be released, she was escorted out by All Might and Eraser Head to the UA campus where his apartment resided in the teacher's dorms, she would stay until either her safety was procured or she wished to leave.


	20. Readying the guest room

All Might hadn’t lived with someone else in over twenty years if you didn’t count an apartment complex building on campus where most teachers could choose to stay in if they wished. They knew each other pretty decently however the thought of living together was still something odd and kind of foreign especially for him. He was still trying to get over the initial shock of being informed by the Pro-Hero council that Medicinal Snare chose his company over her official Pro-Hero partner’s. He didn’t pretend to know or guess why she chose this but he honestly wondered if she possibly didn’t want him to see her, All Might had not wanted anyone to see him after his altercation with All for One or to see his scared abdomen and he questioned whether or not he was making a connection between their isolated behaviors when there wasn’t one to begin with. In the end he decided her thoughts were her own and he wouldn’t pry knowing that her mind was probably not the most put together right now. No, he needed to focus on his apartment right now and make sure it was comfortable for her when he and Aizawa would escort her here later on when she was discharged from the hospital. She needed to feel at home, safe and protected here so that she could process things and heal herself mentally. He needed to have hope that one day she would return to her usual self with her heart melting smile and that fire in her eyes she usually held when arguing with someone when they challenged her moral code. Trying to keep himself busy Toshinori distracted himself with thoughts and memories of her to try and keep up his hope as he readied the guest room for an actual semi-permanent person. He had not used his guest room before for anyone else, his mentor would rather meet at his home than trouble himself with physically traveling to the UA property. It did not take long before her things were settled into the previously barren room, Aizawa had only grabbed the essentials and important mementos she would need or desperately want. Clothes were folded and hung up, her many potted plants scattered around the house, her bedding made onto the guest bed, her favorite coffee mug in the cabinet, and other small things he knew would help the transition move along a little easier. Toshinori felt something underneath his most prominent feelings as he rearranged his home for someone else and tried to snuff out the little emotion, excitement. It was never not obvious that the number one Pro-Hero held a flame for the sweet number five Pro-Hero and he felt a little bit of excitement and nerves at the thought of her choosing to live with him above someone else so close to her. Of him seeing her in a neutral setting as her natural self or of simple things like her waking up with bed head as she scratched her stomach yawning. But shame also came hand in hand with the feeling, and it flooded his system immensely. He knew he shouldn’t feel anything but sadness at her living with him due to the circumstances but his schoolboy-esque crush still remained no matter how much he tried to squish it beneath his metaphorical heel. It was bittersweet to say the least, All Might long wished to have company in his quiet apartment that never really felt like home but he never would have asked for it to happen the way it did.


	21. One for All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three weeks into retirement.

Sakura was different yet the same, and it worried those permitted to see her. She still woke up and made herself coffee while still in her pajamas, but she would stare at her favorite cactus Gaara who sat in the windowsill until a look you couldn’t read passed across her face and she would walk away. It reminded her of someone else with its prickly exterior and soft inside, someone she didn’t want to think of. She would shower before she retired for bed that night, but she didn’t look at herself in the mirror anymore when she’d pass by, if anything she avoided it. She was the same but changed. On the outside she didn’t spiral as much as Toshinori feared but he worried about her behavior. Her smile would never really meet her eyes, and things she loved she reacted to them unattached. She never left his apartment on the UA grounds, and never asked to see anyone. She never asked about Fuyumi which he knew they had grown close from talks they previously had, or the young Shoto. Not even Endeavor. Her behavior unnerved him and he decided to take action after some thought, she was too normal and casual acting too soon after what happened but he could tell she was hurting internally by the way she did little things here and there. He requested time off from working to be home twenty-four-seven for her if she needed him, Nezu approved his request with no reluctance or hesitation because of his soft spot for the young girl in his mousy heart. He entertained the thought of talking to Aizawa about his worries since before she took Endeavors offer of support hero, she was a shadow hero like the media elusive Eraser Head and had a fairly decent acquaintanceship with him. He decided against it but he had slipped up accidentally when Aizawa had asked how she was doing and how she was adjusting to the faculty apartments. 

“Perhaps she’s having a hard time distinguishing between what happened and what’s here now? Guilt when she looks in the mirror and doesn’t understand what’s going on.” Aizawa had told him, “He has Endeavor’s eyes, their almost identical, maybe she realizes this and is scared to see him and is avoiding asking for him.” 

The mountain retreat attack happened only four or so days ago, and All Might was thankful the villains failed in their attempt to kidnap students of interest but was disappointed that his fellow pro-heroes had failed in capturing the elusive Dabi. He showed up first most likely as a distraction and it certainly did work, probably too well. Because of the exception in his capture the police permitted the pro-heroes and even the students tried to murder him on sight instead of plain capture and detain. He was overpowered but with already almost losing one villain that night and failing at capturing any students they retreated. If Aizawa was telling the truth about his eyes then he couldn’t blame Sakura, he never would. His new adviser said he simply couldn't know what was exactly going on in her head and also told him that he could be wrong and to not take his theories too seriously but his guess was solid in his mind. They didn’t know she had been avoiding mirrors because she saw someone else, someone she thought was weak and felt guilt and disgust for placing herself in the situation in the first place but he was partially right in his deduction. What could he do All Might asked hoping for an answer, he had already taken down almost all of the mirrors in the house from fear of them hurting her. 

“Do you deactivate your quirk around her?” Aizawa asked suddenly as if he had forgotten to ask earlier. 

He confided in a very little amount of people about his weakness, with how his quirk was decaying. In how his normal form looked and his habit of coughing blood when hurt or surprised. But his fellow teachers knew, Aizawa saw him that day in the Unforeseen Simulation Joint and steered students away from his dwindling form. So no, of course not. She needed to feel safe and how would she feel safe if she knew his true form was so battered and that his quirk couldn’t be activated for extended times during real physical battle, she wouldn’t feel safe. Aizawa said that was the point, if he was weaker than she would know she was safe if she ever felt threatened by him. She would know she could overpower him, that she would be able protect herself at any moment and that was why he was in front of her now with his quirk one for all deactivated. He explained why he chose to do this and she looked like she would burst into tears. The color drained from his face as he worried that he was right earlier and she had realized how weak her supposed protector was, how in danger she was with him as her guardian. But she launched herself at him her arms looped around his neck as she tripped over her own words. She was thankful he considered showing her his weakness so she would feel safe with him so close to her alone. His face burned pink and so did his ears as he digested her words and her gratitude. She promised to talk to him if she had any worries or needed to just plain talk or have company from now on instead of worrying more people than she already was and he promised he’d never use his quirk against her, she was safe with him. Slowly he wound his own arms around her small frame as he returned her hug. He used to hug her whenever he could get away with it and would constantly hoist her onto his shoulders during her guest appearances to the UA classes but this touch was very personal and a welcomed contact since her usual self had almost completely disappeared these few weeks. From then on whenever they were alone, he would be just regular Toshinori for her, it was nice having someone be thankful for his lesser form.


	22. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One Month and three days into retirement.

Over three weeks, it took All Might over three weeks to realize his newest roommate was having severe nightmares every night all alone. The first night he heard her he had woken up extremely early even by his standards and went to the kitchen in a daze to start himself and Sakura their coffee for the day. He almost dropped their porcelain mugs when he heard a small quiet cry from her bedroom in the darkness of the kitchen, out of fear for the worst he activated his quirk and threw her door open only to find her tossing and turning uncomfortably underneath her heavy teal colored covers. He fought with himself terribly at the thought of waking her and her accidentally being scared by his presence in her bedroom while she had been sleeping, eventually he couldn't handle the noises she made and so he deactivated his quirk and nudged her gently. Snapping awake she seemed startled like he predicted and he felt guilt at waking her how he did, maybe he should have turned on the bright lights first. When her sleep glazed eyes finally locked onto him recognition crossed her features and she visibly relaxed knowing it was only him.   
"How long have you been having nightmares?" Toshinori asked as he sat in the plush chair that rested across her bed in a corner of the room.   
Her eyes avoided him now, and she stayed quiet refusing to answer him as she silently bit onto her bottom lip nervously. So she had been having the nightmares since the incident he thought, he shifted awkwardly in the chair now realizing how stupid his question was. Of course she had nightmares about what happened. She had promised to tell him if she had any problems or if she needed to just talk but as he watched her shift around her place on the bed nervously he couldn't bring himself to be upset at her.   
"Well I can just get comfortable I guess," Toshinori laughed awkwardly as he tried readjusting how he'd sleep in such a small chair. "I can watch over you if you'd like, to make you feel more secure I mean." He rushed out feeling as if his initial comment sounded creepy.   
"No I couldn't ask that of you!" Sakura pleaded, she could see how uncomfortable he was in her tiny chair and the thought of him sleeping in it made her feel more awful than she already did.   
"That's why I offered, you didn't have to ask." Toshinori laughed slightly as he crossed his arms across his chest once he found a comfortable position, he sat now sideways head against the wall and legs propped up on the edge of her dresser.   
Knowing Toshinori's moral code wouldn't let her sleep alone with nightmares she gave up resisting and nestled back under her covers and mumbled a thank you before nodding off once again. Toshinori true to his word slept in his uncomfortable spot the rest of the night, then the next night he wordlessly walked over to the chair this time with a small fleece throw blanket and pillow ready for the night. This continued for the rest of the week's remaining nights and Sakura was immensely grateful but she felt guilty every time he rubbed his back during the day when he thought she wouldn't notice the action. On the tenth night as Toshinori cuddled into his small blanket in his little corner of the room he noticed Sakura still sat upright staring at him and he could see the gears shifting in her brain trying to consider something carefully.   
"Why do you sleep in here knowing it messes with your back?" Sakura asked her voice void of any infliction he could try to read.   
This shocked him slightly since he had thought she hadn't noticed him rubbing his spine or when he'd crack his back when her head was turned the other way, "Because I know you're trying to keep everything a secret from everyone," He began and her eyes grew a little wide from the thought of someone knowing what thoughts were happening in her mind, " I don't know why you do, but I want to do whatever I can to help even if it makes me uncomfortable. You have friends here Sakura and any of us would help you if you asked." He finished and his raw honesty and openness warmed something in her, he cared for her that was why he was doing this.   
"Then you'll sleep in my bed with me if you insist on sleeping in here. I'm a medic and I can tell you're hurting yourself, so we compromise." Sakura smiled, her mind was made up and now Toshinori wondered why he would bring up how his comfort didn't matter.   
"Sakura, that's a little much of a jump don't you think? I could get a sleeping bag or something else." He flustered, he didn't think she understood the implications of what she was saying or how he truly felt about her.   
Her silence rung out signaling that she was serious and she didn't care, in that moment he saw a flash of the Pro-Hero he knew she still was underneath the pain with the stubbornness that she was oozing then and there. Sighing Toshinori shakily grabbed his blanket and pillow as he made his way slowly to the empty side of the bed, his nerves wouldn't stop and he felt so skiddish in that moment. He plopped down onto the bed on his side stiffly with his back to her and he laid barely on the bed's edge, one wrong move and he'd fall off of the bed guaranteed. He was tense no doubt as he tried hard not to touch her at all, she was hurt only a little over a month ago and he remembered her face when he woke her up from her nightmares the first time. He didn't want to trigger any memories with any kind of touch on accident. He left out a breath he didn't know he held when he felt small fists curl against his spine followed by the pressure of a forehead.   
"I trust you." Three small simple words was all it took for all of the tension to leave his body so fast he couldn't even comprehend it, she knew partially why he was so nervous and she wanted to reassure him he was fine.   
She nestled her head against his spine as she got comfortable and he felt her breaths turn shallow and even meaning she fell asleep already, Toshinori didn't sleep that night. He noticed her nightmares didn't happen with her that night either, they continued to sleep like this for a while until her nightmares had been gone for a while. She knew she was safe with him and it helped them lessen until she almost forgot she had them at all.


	23. False walls will crumble

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One month, one week, and five days into retirement.

After the failed attack on the UA students during their mountain retreat the UA principle Nezu had decided all textbook or traditional studies would be forlorn for extensive training in combat and quirk improvement for a while in case the league of villains targeted the students again. Which meant All Might's time off for protecting retired Pro-Hero Medicinal Snare twenty-four-seven was temporarily put on hold, if he or she didn't feel comfortable leaving her alone in the faculty apartments even though they were on school grounds then he extended an invitation for her to shadow All Might in the training auditorium or to take tea with Nezu in his office until All Might was finished with classes. Nezu promised that he had personally talked to each and every one of All Might's selected classrooms and the students acknowledged that if they stepped over any boundaries set by him concerning Medicinal Snare, they would be up for expulsion from UA permanently. After so long of never being alone Sakura chose to follow Toshinori to his classes and either stand silently near him or to talk to his fellow teachers as he taught the young students. The day had gone by so far pretty decently, the students and teachers were still as respectful as they had been when she had come before with either All Might or Best Jeanist himself to be a surprise guest. It was shockingly easy to fall into the old rhythm she had with him with teaching the next generation of Pro-Heroes. She hadn't genuinely smiled this much or laughed this carefree in a while. She knew Toshinori was trying his hardest to make sure she was comfortable in his apartment but it was nice to see some things wouldn't truly be affected by, by the incident. It felt like a weight fell off of her shoulders when she realized that she felt relief that her life was still the same even if by a little, she wanted to feel normal. That was why she tried so hard to pretend on the outside that she was fine, because she wanted to be fine. She didn't want to wake up somewhere other than her apartment every morning, she didn't want to be restricted to the UA campus constantly watched for her own safety. She didn't want to cringe every time she walked past a mirror and feel shame swell in her stomach at the thought of appearing weak, of her not being able to control her own body and quirk. She had kept her vines in the shape of a bun at the base of the back of her skull and never used them for fear they wouldn't react to her since it would force her to acknowledge her mind was still frayed from that day. She didn't want to feel lonely when she saw her beloved cactus Gaara and looked at his teal flowers that were wilting with the changing season. She wanted to be strong, to be herself again and not need help from others or be treated like she was made of glass. Today proved she could still be herself, that she was in control of her life. She dared to wonder if she should ask Nezu to allow her to be a teacher's aide or at least a surprise guest again for UA. As her thoughts turned bright for once in a long time she looked to where they were heading next, searching for the paper in her pocket Nezu gave her that contained Toshinori's schedule should they get separated she stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of the corridor. Class 1-A, Shoto's class. She had been avoiding Endeavor from fear of his rejection of her and for what she would find in his eyes when he looked at her. Avoiding him meant avoiding her dear friend Fuyumi and the little Shoto also. She hadn't called on anyone yet from fear of anyone looking at her with pity obvious in their gazes. However, the students and staff today didn't hold the feeling openly at least in their eyes when she desperately searched them for it, subconsciously she wondered if she even deserved their pity if they knew how she started the ball to roll in the beginning. Toshinori's steps stopped echoing throughout the empty hallway and she felt him staring at her with a look of questioning on his face, he was always so easy to read. If he thought nothing of her visiting 1-A then she shouldn't either, in this moment her was her symbol of hope just like his namesake. Continuing to walk until she caught up to him, she smiled at him wholeheartedly, she had friends and support and she needed to remember this like he said. After Toshinori activated his quirk he burst into the room with a "we are here!" like he did with the other classes and began explaining what they would be doing today in their part of the auditorium. She tuned him out having heard the speech at least four times already with other classes word for word and she searched the room. Aizawa hadn't disappeared yet or tucked himself into his prized sleeping bag and it surprised Sakura. He was watching her out of the corner of his eyes and she remembered that she had not spoken to him since the day he helped escort her to UA safely from the Hospital. Feeling awful that he was staying in the faculty apartment building also and she had not asked for him to visit or to visit him and decided to walk over to him and make the first move since he was being careful. 

"How is being stuck with permanent babysitting duty with class 1-A?" Sakura asked trying to sound professional so they wouldn't gain the attention of the class and distract from the lesson. 

"Troublesome, they do everything they shouldn't no matter the hour." Aizawa grumbled as he watched Bakugo and Izuku closely as if he believed they would do something stupid at any moment. "You know fellow shadow hero to another I'm here If you need-" 

"I know anything or anyone to talk to." She finished for him already knowing what he was going to offer. 

"I was going to say if you need to pet any cats. But I will if you insist." He finished straight faced. 

"You didn't," she gasped," You snuck your cats on campus? I'm guessing Nezu doesn't know." She smirked knowing the answer. 

"He knows I had pets and he didn't specifically say to re-home them." He smirked slightly. 

"If you get caught say they're my therapy animals, his soft spot for me will allow it even if he knows I'm lying." She advised as she laughed at the thought of Nezu finding out about Aizawa's stowaways. 

Their conversation and watching of Izuku and Bakugo's strange dynamics distracted them to the point they didn't notice a student peeled off from the rest and was headed towards them. It wasn't until the young Todoroki was merely fifteen feet from them that they took notice of his approach. Meeting his mismatched eyes every ounce of confidence Sakura had built up from the day rushed out of her as if hell was on their heels. He didn't stop until he was only two feet from her, from the corner of her eye she saw Aizawa tense from his student's uncommon behavior and ready himself to intervene should things turn sour. Seconds felt like eternity as he stood wordlessly and emotionlessly across her, for the life of her she couldn't read anything on his face and it unnerved her even more so. Until he did something he had never done before and she thought he'd never do to her, he hugged her stiffly showing just how unfamiliar he was with physical affection. All of Sakura's walls she had falsely built that day fell and shattered as she stood with her arms limply at her side while he hugged her small frame. It had been so long since anyone hugged her and she didn't know what to think with it being Shoto of all people, he bodies response had to of course be to cry. She hadn't cried since the day she woke up in the hospital bed and all of her memories flooded her mind not caring if she could handle it or not. She realized why she felt so lonely when she stared at Gaara's teal petals, it was because she was lonely. She missed Fuyumi and Shoto, and most importantly Enji. They all had been such a big part of her life for so long and going even a week without them felt odd. She didn't think to check if the other students could see her crying or to wonder if she was crying silently or sobbing loudly, all she could do was cry and let everything out because she was hurt. She was hurting so bad on the inside and she needed to admit it and reach out for the support her loved ones offered her. When she finished crying everyone was gone except for her and Shoto, she knew Toshinori most likely stood outside the room's door giving her the most privacy he could right now without compromising her safety and that Aizawa had most likely moved the class out as she cried. Toshinori and her wordlessly walked back to his apartment and after they stepped inside, she chose to speak up finally. Her next words would cause Toshinori’s chest to seize uncomfortably.   
"I want to see Endeavor please." 


	24. Fucking look at me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (I would like to personally thank MutliSakuBlossom, Redlovingjade, and BlueNightingale19 for all of your kind words, support, and reviews! It means a lot!)  
> One month and two weeks into retirement.

She thought she wanted to be here but now she wasn’t so sure, she didn't want him to see the husk of her left over. She didn't want her previous partner to see her like this, to see her weakness. She had avoided him as long as she could, but this was unavoidable in the end and she knew this. All Might needed to meet with his detective friend for an emergency, something urgent and classified he couldn't say around his new roommate so today was perfect since she had requested this visit. He was reluctant to leave her with his rival Endeavor completely alone, she could see how he physically hesitated when his old friend brought up the option versus her rescheduling. All Might knew something was off, she had been in his care for over a month and hadn't asked to see Endeavor. They had been inseparable before, he knew this. After the attack on the UA students in the mountain retreat Aizawa mentioned in passing that Dabi's eyes were the same as Endeavors when All Might confided in him about worrying why Sakura hadn't asked for Endeavor and Toshinori explained everything to her that day he showed her his true form including what he talked about with Aizawa. Yet he twisted the story as not to upset her or cause her too much worry. What Toshinori had told her was how Aizawa had somehow had run into Dabi one day in an alleyway at night but he escaped. She thought maybe if Enji had seen the reports then he didn't want her to see her attacker's eyes, she tried reassuring herself that’s why he hadn’t reached out to her. She knew he had seen the reports she wouldn't kid herself, he collected files and records on people of interest. In truth she never thought about others making the connection, their eyes were similar but Endeavor had his own unique color. No one could ever have his eyes, they demanded respect and were in their own category. Only she could tell the difference in his children's eyes and his, they were all slightly different somehow. No, she was scared at how he'd look at her with those eyes of his. If she'd find disgust in his eyes, pity, or if he'd see the shame in her own eyes. This situation was her fault and she would deal with it, but she couldn't deal with how he wouldn't look at her. She could see his reluctance to touch her, sure his touches weren't anything special before. Disinfecting her cuts and scrapes, carrying her when she exhausted herself too much, letting her cling to him as she broke down. They weren't anything too special, but with someone like him they were. It hurt, on top of the pre-existing pain that her healing process was causing others she cared for to hurt with her. Misery loved company, but she didn't wish that on anyone. She couldn't, not even now. With a loud thud she slouched against his chest resting her head against the crook of his armpit. She felt him tense beneath her. 

"You don't have to worry about breaking me, I'm not made of glass." She whispered staring at the ceiling. 

His silence told her he thought otherwise but that there was something unsaid also. She leaned her head back to meet his eyes but he slowly looked at the lamp flickering on his office desk, it would need a new light bulb soon. Why wouldn't he look at her, or touch her anymore? He was overprotective their whole career together, he still was now but at an obvious distance. Was he disgusted with her? Did he think she was weak? Why wouldn't he fucking look at her? Simultaneously two things happened, her one hand balled into a fist from frustration and slammed down on the loveseat that felt too soft beneath her small angry touch and the other hand grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her expecting him to recoil from her gross touch, "Why won't you look at me?" Her eyes became misty, her vision clouding as she whispered, "Do I disgust you? Broken? Am I weak in your eyes now too?" Her voice grew too quiet at the admission of the word weak. She hadn't even realized she said the word too, admitting she thought she was weak. She had felt powerless with Dabi, could he sense her weakness? That she couldn't even control her own quirk because she couldn't focus her stupid fucking mind? Her mental rambling skidded to a halt when he wrapped his arms around her crying form from behind, she was crying and hadn't even realized it herself. 

"I didn't want you to look at me and see him." He spoke his chin still in her tight grip, she had been increasing it subconsciously while her mind derailed itself. Disgusted with herself that she had been probably hurting him she tried to retake her hand back but he shoved his chin back into her dainty palm, a small sign of trust and understanding. He had been worried he'd hurt her, that touching her would spark something. But it wasn't just the touching, it was also why he was looking away. 

"Enji your eyes may look the same to everyone else but I can tell your eyes are your own. I don't see him when I look at them, it's not hard to look you in those eyes. You demand them to look like no one else with your scowl, the almost permanent slant caused by annoyance at anything that breathes in their presence. All I see is you and you demand nothing less." 

The raw honesty in her voice wasn't anything new to him but it was her first time talking to him since the incident and about the incident so much, so openly and he could tell from the look on her face alone without asking. He now understood why she refused to look at him or speak to him in the hospital room that day besides telling him to leave the room, he caught that she said the word "too" with her earlier statement. He didn't know why it bothered him that she might look at him and see someone else, someone who hurt her beyond comprehension but he still did pride be damned. It was a relief when she confided in him this much like she used to. There was hope openly in his eyes when he saw a glimmer of her old self, of his partner. Of his equal. She was not weak, she never was and she never would be.


	25. A common cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One month, three weeks, and two days into retirement.

He had missed her whenever she would leave for Endeavor's company building meeting him at the UA gates. After she had reconciled with her Pro-Hero partner, she had spent a shockingly large amount of time with him. She never spent the night there even though from his understanding Endeavor had procured a whole floor of his building for a mock house with everything he would need should he ever, kitchen and all. But catching her as she was already half asleep on her way through the apartment door and getting ready for bed didn't really count as seeing each other in Toshinori's book. It had only been two weeks of this behavior and he was already growing tired of it, she rarely visited the UA classes with him foregoing those visits for time with Endeavor. Unluckily or luckily depending on how you looked at it Toshinori got sick with a cold and once Sakura noticed her medic side kicked in and she was home nonstop so far, these three days. She chided him of course for letting his health decline without noticing but she took care of him none the less. A new routine was made where she took his temperature three times a day and made him a surprise flavor soup for food. She had him sleeping in the living room on the couch so she could watch him when she cooked and so he could be entertained by the movies she'd put on for them. She would sometimes fall asleep during the movies and it would remind him of when he slept in her bed when she had nightmares. She was oddly domestic and at times he wondered how different she'd be if it was a child, she was caring for instead of him. After her absence of so long and now being together non-stop again All Might realized he didn't want this to ever end. Not the cold, no, the her being with him. Her company and their talks. He looked forward to going home to their apartment after he finished his classes and teaching for the day. Well that was when she would be home and he knew she was there. He needed to do something about how little she was home now. He thought of her eventually leaving when Dabi was captured and it hurt how much loneliness he felt just at the thought alone when it hadn't even happened yet. No, he would think of something to get her to stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this was so short, I started college this Monday and I haven't had the time to write yet. But I will write more Friday when I have free time and will update a bigger chapter!


	26. Moving in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> URGENT: I forgot to publish this chapter so please read before continuing the story!  
> One month, three weeks, and six days into retirement.

It was rare Sakura was without the company of All Might or Endeavor, even then she was left in the care of Nezu or Aizawa. However, today Toshinori asked her to do him a favor. Izuku wanted to redo his Medicinal Snare notebook since his information was very limited, he was too fearful to walk up to her on her previous patrols with the mighty Endeavor or to test his teacher Aizawa's patience too much with too many trivial questions during her guest appearances. It was odd since she she never spent solo time with the young boy before but knowing he was Toshinori's successor and that he trusted her in his care she agreed. It was fun to say the least. He started out with excellent questions like how did she control her vines and if she went too long without using her healing spores would it have a negative effect on her vine's health. It was simple but entertaining to have someone genuinely interested in her quirk's abilities and her combat techniques verses gossip like most interviews with magazines steered towards. Eventually the conversation steered itself towards personal things, like they usual do when you run out of questions or you're being thorough. He asked about where she was born, went to school, and who her idols and inspirations were growing up among other things. He was a sweet kid and it upset Sakura immensely that he had been born quirkless when it was so rare now a days, but she was also grateful Toshinori found him and took him under his wing eventually giving him One For All. For him to give up his power before he even retired seemed very selfless and honorable to her considering his circumstances. After filling up to three composition books and around an hour of mumbling Sakura decided it was time to head back to the apartment, she declined Izuku's offer to stay until All Might came to retireve her and him invite other students from class 1-A into his room with them to keep them entertained. She was safe on UA grounds and the faculty apartments were extremely close to the student's one. She passed no students on her walk back surprisingly but the silence was welcomed, she had grown accustomed to quietness with the Todoroki's minus Fuyumi of course. Once Sakura got back to her apartment off of UA school grounds she would invite Fuyumi over to help clean since she enjoyed domestic things oddly enough, she would need to get her a gift to thank her for her help of course. Probably tea since she lived on it. As Sakura thought about how to repay Fuyumi in the future when she invited her over again she forgot to look where she was going too busy in her thoughts and she ran into a cardboard box forehead first. 

"Sakura are you okay? Do I need to take you to recovery girl?" A voice called out as she rubbed her sore forehead with her eyes still squinted shut, opening her eyes she realized the person holding the box was Toshinori. 

"What are you doing?" She questioned, without asking she got on her tippy toes and looked inside the open top of the box. 

Were those her coffee mugs? What was he doing with her apartment's dishware. He had enough for two people in his own apartment. 

"I was just collecting more of your things from your apartment for you." He sweated nervously, he was powered up with his quirk activated as he carried the box and his signature All Might smile faltered under her scrutiny. 

Having a horrible gut feeling Sakura pushed past him and into his open apartment door. Boxes, they were everywhere. At least twelve decent sixed cardboard boxes already sat in the kitchen with various words scrawled on them. Decorations, memorabilia, blankets, office supplies, clothes. Even her smallest bookshelf was propped against the bathroom door. 

She twirled around face obviously upset and annoyed, "You cleaned out my apartment? Without asking me first?" She pointed her finger at him accusingly. 

Toshinori calmly walked into the room and placed the box down before he deactivated his quirk for her, "The rent was up and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to since we don't know how much longer you'll be here." He answered, she wondered if this was the reason for him suddenly asking her to do him a favor outside of his apartment. 

Once she realized that was true and that he had most likely only asked for her to be elsewhere was because he knew she'd be upset yet he still went through with it she got more upset. 

"I thought I would be allowed to return to my apartment soon!" Sakura argued, there hadn't been any incidents like the Pro-Hero council worried about and she thought she'd get to return soon. 

"Sakura, Dabi still hasn't been detained." He replied. 

She couldn't say that Dabi wasn't an issue, that she was safe from him. That he wouldn't hunt her down to assault her again or finish it and kill her. Because she would have to admit that she knew Dabi because they had a consensual relationship before the incident. But that was it, that was the problem. There was an incident, she didn't think he'd do something like he did and she honestly didn't know if he'd try to find her again. Because she actually didn't know him, she didn't know what he was capable of anymore. So she settled for the only defense she could think of. 

"He's a shadow villain, he wouldn't do anything if I stayed with groups and busy streets." It was partially true, even if he did try to find her again he was smart enough to not try anything around a large crowd of citizens. 

"Sakura." He begged, he never liked making people upset and he sure didn't like the person he was upsetting was Sakura. 

"What about what I want? What if I wanted to move back into my apartment huh? I've lived there for years! It's the closest thing to a home I have besides Enji's manor!" Sakura screamed her vision getting blurry from building tears, she always cried when she got extremely mad. But, she was her own person and she would decide what she did and how she lived her life. 

Toshinori's calm almost cracked at her slip up of using Endeavor's first name, she never used it in front of others for professionalism but her rage caused her to slip. Her admitting that Endeavor's manor felt like home rubbed against him in a way that he couldn't describe, but he knew it wasn't a good feeling. No, not at all. 

"His company building is already a safety risk Sakura, but living outside of UA property is something I don't want to risk for your sake." He tried reasoning, everything he told her was true but he also chose to do this for other reasons than just purely for her safety. 

Already seeing her inhaling, readying herself for another one sided shouting match round he fought hard to think of something that she would see reason with even through her anger. He couldn't say she wasn't protected at the manor, he couldn't even lie to himself enough to believe it. Endeavor was number two Pro-Hero for a reason and the young prodigy Shoto would no doubt be allowed to return home from the AU student apartments if it was under the same roof as his father and the previous number five Pro-Hero. No, she was safe and he couldn't think of any good reason besides that he would miss her because he, because he. He knew what to do but he didn't want to do it. 

"Dabi is still on the loose Sakura," He began treading as carefully as he could, "He was there when The League of Villains attacked the students during their mountain retreat a month ago and he escaped. He's not hiding anymore in the shadows, he's trying to be seen. Seen by you. I know you don't doubt Aizawa but he was barely a match for Dabi one on one." He studied her face as she took in the news, almost everyone involved in the incident and those pursuing Dabi decided it would be best to hide the incident from her for fear of scaring her about Dabi's new behavior. Almost everyone but solely Endeavor of course, he trusted she could handle it he said but not everyone was as convinced. He was outvoted. When he had told her about Aizawa's advise with his quirk he left out the mountain retreat completely, she assumed students were forced to live on campus because of the first incident at USJ where Aizawa almost died. 

"Is everyone safe? Who was hurt? Why were they there?" Sakura's anger was quickly replaced by worry for those she cared for. Even though she saw multiple classes of UA students when she visited she didn't think to take roll call and see who was there and not besides those who mattered most to her. 

Toshinori grabbed her by the shoulders to help her focus, "Everyone is fine Sakura, the students and Pro-Heroes both. Look at me and breathe okay? Their mission failed. I'm just worried about you, everyone is and UA is even more safe and secure after the USJ incident. Just promise me you'll stay here." 

In that moment hundreds of emotions flickered across Sakura's face; worry, confusion, hesitation, uncertainty, questioning. She truelly didn't want to stay Toshinori realized and it hurt his chest like cupid had shot him with an actual arrow in his heart instead of a love one on accident. They had grown closer these few two months and he had grown accustomed to their routine. He wouldn't trade it for anything in the world but she would and it stung deeply. 

"I don't really understand, but I'll try." Sakura muttered as she bent down to pick up a box labeled books in black marker, she went to her bedroom with the box meaning she would stay. 

The pain in his chest didn't subdue completely but it did lessen with her decision, even if she didn't want it. He could make this work, he had too. He just needed more time and he could show her how much, how extremely much he cared for her.


	27. The number one and two Pro-Heroes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two months into retirement.

Endeavors company building was like a monument in Japan, just as intimidatingly tall and stoic as its owner. Toshinori had never been inside the building before, it wasn't some enormous secret Endeavor greatly disliked the number one Pro-Hero. His imagination had to fill in the gaps left by Sakura’s casual mentions of the office but, her words matched what it looked like true as ever. He did not know how to feel about her having her own smaller white desk next to his larger darkly wood stained one. He was relieved she had been being treated equally by the stubborn man however he knew the implications, no one was equal to the Mighty Endeavor in his mind until suddenly she was one day. He dared not ask if she had her own room in the personal tower floor Endeavor procured, he didn't want to hear a yes or give the man ideas. 

"Why are you here?" Endeavor asked in a clipped but still professional tone, he knew something was suspicious when his personal receptionist said All Might was on his way up without a scheduled appointment. 

Deciding it was no or never Toshinori dropped a small collection of vanilla folders onto Endeavor's desk top, there could be no turning back. Curious the other man randomly picked a folder and flipped through the contents, after a few seconds a heavy scowl set onto his face. Shoto's hospital records as a child, more specifically when he went to the emergency room when his mother attacked him in her deluded sense of mind. Picking up the next one it contained the paperwork to submit his wife Rei into the hospital until he saw fit, it had the newly signed release forms stapled to the back with the date circled, it was the very same day Sakura was assaulted. Flinging the offending folder with a growl Enji picked up the last one which contained his divorce papers and what he had offered Rei in his conditions that day in the hospital room with both of their signatures. It had only needed to process and get certified. 

"How did you get these?" Enji questioned narrowing his eyes until they were almost slits, his legal workers kept his family's documents and files under lock and key for a reason. 

"It doesn't matter." He replied coolly, in fact it truly didn't matter. If he had mentioned his snooping was for Sakura's safety any of those who cared for her would have helped him in his efforts no matter how shady or questionable, Endeavor did not need to know Toshinori had used his close friend detective Naomasa Tsukauchi for help. 

"You little." Enji began as he started to stand from his desk chair, how dare this man come into his very own office and threaten him. 

"I want you to stay away from Sakura, or else I will go to the media with these documents." Toshinori explained refusing to back up even a step, this was for the greater good he told himself repeatedly. 

"I do not care for the media's opinion or approval, I am above them and the trash they spew." Enji countered, All Might would not go public with these forms. They were obtained illegally, they would be dismissed and All Might himself or his supposed friend could not get out of this situation scratch free for how they obtained them. 

"I will tell her then, you care for her opinion above even your family's." Toshinori spoke as he gathered up the vanilla folders Enji had thrown about as he prepared to leave. 

"I call your bluff," Enji barked at him, "I see how you watch my partner. You want her for yourself, and you care for her. You wouldn't tell her something that would hurt her, that would make her doubt her own thoughts and feelings." He finished feeling sure of himself in his words and belief. 

Toshinori glanced up at him emotionlessly before he continued to gather the files and paperwork, he left without a rebuttal or a single remark. He left Enji there standing behind his desk hanging by a string he did not know he hung by. He never wanted to hurt Sakura, he loved her. But sometimes gardeners had to amputate the infected branch to save the entire plant and let it grow fully, it would cause her less pain and sorrow in the long run. It was for the better he told himself.


	28. Avoidance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two months and two weeks into retirement.

An idiot seeing the world through rose tinted glasses, that's what she was and all she would ever be. It was Sasuke all over again and it felt like she was thirteen again getting her heart crushed but this time it was different, it was a true gritty raw pain not a prepubescent crush being squashed below someone's dismissive heel. No, it was her heart this time, her moral compass. Her everything. She should have known better, she should have seen the signs. She dismissed everything, choosing to believe in the good people were capable of not the horrors they committed behind closed doors. She had encouraged him to be at home, she encouraged him near those poor children. She could have hurt them with her actions, she didn't want to believe he could have hurt them when she was on the other side of their home's closed doors. All the warning signs. The way his own children turned into completely other people with him around even in front of company, in front of witnesses. How he was so ominous and unspecific about certain things, she thought he was a man of a few words and that it was okay. That he was a man of action not words, it was true in a twisted way that made her stomach churn. Toshinori was so gentle like he was stepping on eggshells knowing one wrong move would end the very world. It had ended the world, it ended hers and left her stranded unable to escape her thoughts and flaky emotions. He was so still so quiet when he sat across from her after telling her he needed to talk with her, he looked so unsure of whether or not he was doing the right thing. Of whether or not he should lie and say never mind. She didn't understand how only three vanilla folders could hurt her so much. He avoided her from unease at the sight of the raging storm in her eyes, it struck fear into the man. Her green oceans could drown any ships that dared to sail them, the war waging in them threatened to somehow drown themselves if they felt it was needed. He gave her space then, he rarely spoke to her and he chose not to speak to her unless she spoke first. She needed to sort out herself without any interventions, it was for the best. Anything that got her attention suffered her wrath, her sadness and self-hate turned into confused aggression when provoked with too many emotions at once. Her cactus Gaara faced her wrath first. All she could see were his eyes when she looked at Gaara's teal flowers, how she thought they were the same. Prickly and dangerous on the outside but soft somewhere on the inside deep down. Too many emotions flooded her and before she knew it, she threw poor Gaara at the wall. Whenever she panicked Toshinori would be there to clean up the pieces afterwards, she didn't even have time to feel sorrow for her beloved plant before he cleaned up it and the pot’s contents and dumped them silently into the trash bin nearby. Eventually she took up a new routine scared that she was becoming too toxic for her roommate. The faculty apartment's top floor was entirely procured for a staff training dojo and that was where she spent most of her time these days, punching or hitting the dummies until her fists and heels turned red from the repeated blunt force trauma. Her frustrations were dealt to something built for the shock of abuse, it was ironic to her. His violence had crumbled her world and yet here she was dealing with her flurry of emotions through violence, she was a hypocrite. Her thoughts were too scrambled for her to decipher, how would she ever face Fuyumi or Shoto again knowing how she put them in danger with her request of Endeavor. How could she watch Fuyumi stutter anymore without flinching each time as she worried how exactly he caused or influenced that habit. What did their mother think when his Pro-Hero partner sent her flowers every week? Had the flowers just been a grim reminder of why she was there? The thought sent her spiraling and she cried out as she dealt multiple hits to the punching bag that hung from the ceiling. Her body ached in every spot one could use to attack with; heels, palms, sides of her feet or calves, shins, fists, elbows, everything. All of them were sore and throbbed an ugly red yet she continued, the pain distracted her from her pain on the inside if only minuscule. They throbbed from the week of abuse she put them through. She avoided him since she found out his dirty secret, it had only been two weeks but she feared he suspected something was wrong. Usually she called and told him she wanted to see him and sometimes she would find out from others he was already waiting at the UA gates without notifying her confident someone would alert her. Once her calls stopped after becoming almost daily his calls started. At first it was once a day but after a while they stopped completely, it was as if he knew somehow that she was purposely avoiding him and not just too busy for him or his calls. As she grew too weak and too sore for her regimen, she considered using her vines and unrestricting them from the bun like shape they had been imprisoned in. She wasn't ready, no. If they didn't respond to her anymore from the way her brain had been scrambled, she would feel that last piece of her die inside. She would rather live in denial than face the reality of her situation. However, the knock at the apartment door told her otherwise.


	29. A mortal man aged by the very world he loved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two months and two weeks into retirement.

Stepping tentatively into the corridor she knew who it would be, the universe did not love her and so it would bring him to her door. It would always breathe down her neck at every corner she passed in her lifetime, always. Enji was tense and only she could notice the small ques nobody else could, he knew something. He always knew everything and she could tell in his steely eyes that he was informed even now. All of her self-hatred and anger towards him and herself flew out of her being like a balloon being mercilessly punctured with a sharp needle, she was small again and she fumbled with her thoughts awkwardly. She was not prepared for this no matter how much she had been venting her aggression and thoughts out on anything in her way. She was small and she felt it as much as she felt how hollow she was, she was hollow without the flurry of emotions that had coursed through out her body these past weeks. He spoke first. 

“You know.” Only two words and she understood their meaning perfectly, she heard no remorse in his words. However, she almost thought she heard sorrow, almost. 

“I do.” She could barely speak, her throat hurt and she felt as if it was constricting her breathing. She knew better to ask but she couldn’t stop herself, couldn’t stop the words as they spilled out of her lips. “Do you regret it?” 

Regret? Regret what? She didn’t even know what she meant herself. Did she mean his past? Not telling her? Maybe her finding out? She didn’t know and she couldn’t clarify either. 

He readied himself before answering and it worried her that he had to, “The past is behind us all, we cannot change it so I never look back.” Her silence met his unsatisfying answer and she slowly saw his life moto for the danger it had and would cause, there was danger in a man who regretted nothing. Her eyes began to feel that all too familiar burn of when tears were being forcibly held back, through her blurred vision she saw him cringe slightly. Her pain affected him and it made her feel worse than she already did. 

“I regret,” He began slowly as if he had never said the word before and if he said he hadn’t she would have believed him, “That I hurt you.” He pushed his luck slightly and stepped forward and reached to grip her upper arms in reassurance but she shrugged his advances off limply. 

“You’re a monster.” She whispered under her breath, part of her wished he hadn’t heard her accidental admission and the other half felt better at finally admitting it out loud. “I think it’s best if you leave.” She whispered even quieter, this admission however hurt to ask even now. 

He didn't know what else to do. His world was condemning him, leaving him with the harsh winter that ravaged in her heart where warmth previously was. He wrapped himself around her and attacked her lips with his own, she fought slightly but he didn't let go. Just a few more seconds he told himself. All of her emotions swelled up threatening to burst and she wasn't a big enough container, she couldn't do this. She wanted this so much, she would have sacrificed anything for this moment. She thought of how he was married and then she thought of his wife. How she learned he beat her, how he beat her so much that she cracked and attacked one of their children. She thought of Shoto's scar and her stomach churned threatening to vomit. Their first kiss was never supposed to be like this, she was supposed to feel loved and happy but all she could feel was his desperation at losing her and her disgust at his past. she shoved him away using both her arms and her vines. She laughed drily as she thought of the irony, her vines betrayed her before when her body needed them most but they complied now of all moments. He did not seek her mouth again, deep down he knew better even as a man on the edge. 

"Don't touch me, I said leave. I don't want to see you again." She yelled not caring if any of the other staff heard her through the hallway walls in their own apartments. 

He stood silent and unmoving. She didn't know if it was because of the shock of being told to leave and never come back by her of all people, or from his stubbornness. She couldn't look at him, how could she look at his children now? She thought of all the warning signs she missed, the red flags in his children's behavior around him and the ones in their personalities. Fuyumi's stuttering, Shoto's silence, Natsuo rarely being home. He ruined everything. He ruined everything. As she looked up to meet his eyes her arms crossed around her front and she held herself by her elbows, she had convinced him to go home more. To be around his children more. She was a healer and she could have hurt those children with her request. She hurt people. 

"I love you." Three simple words from his mouth, that's all it took for the tears she didn't know she held to fall. 

He did not dismiss his behavior or his actions, he didn't make excuses. No, his admission was worse. Because she had loved him too despite the odds they started with. She loved a monster. She was a beauty and he was a beast but they wouldn't have a happy ending. His actions were too much for her to bear. 

"I loved you." She whispered, he noticed the past tense of her wording and he stepped forward but stopped when she stepped back. 

He had wondered what his past would cost him with her, and the answer was everything. He would pay for his wrong doings and he would pay with his future with her. Realizing there wasn't anything he could say in the moment to fix things he left. He took the stairs instead of the elevator, his flames increasingly high from the fueling of his internal turmoil. They scorched the walls of the stairwell as he descended, him leaving more permanent scars for the world around him. When he got home his children could feel the dark aura vibrating off of him but asked no questions as he silently strode towards his personal dojo in his wing of the manor. They mirrored each other then. His children standing as still as statues in the kitchen staring in the direction he had departed in and him staring wordlessly at the wall in his quiet dojo. They flinched at the sound of a distant metal weight clanging against another steel piece beyond their view as it shattered that perfect silence. He destroyed everything in his dojo, and anything he couldn't destroy he at least threw around not caring for any damage he would cause. He was a man of little to no words, only actions so he let his actions carry out the rage and hurt he couldn't voice. Shoto understood his violence, he understood that it was the only way his father could function in that moment but he did not excuse it. He knew the only one capable of destroying his father was that girl. He worried for what had happened to her, what happened between them. He worried most of all what his father would do once he destroyed everything in the dojo and his thoughts still lingered on her. After everything was said and done and it had been quiet for far too long Shoto ventured to the dojo not caring for what his father was capable of, he was not afraid of him anymore. He was not a man worth fearing in his eyes, not anymore. He did not knock or try to discreetly peer into the room that was so silent it unnerved him after so long of it emanating an orchestra of violent noises. No, he walked in front of the doorway unafraid and stood boldly in the doorway. Endeavor sat against the wall and Shoto believed only for a moment that his father had possibly worn himself out, that was until he noticed his eyes were still open. His father stayed like this for so long Shoto had failed to realize the sun had set long ago, he left him there and went on with his business before retiring for the day. Sleepily walking down, the corridor the next morning he passed the dojo and thought to access the damage for repairs since he used the dojo when he was home on the weekends from school much like today. Under the early sun's rays, he found Endeavor had not moved since he left him there last night in that very position. If it had not been for the subtle way his father's chest deflated and inflated under the early morning's shadows, he would have thought him dead. As the sun rose and the light shifted, he caught the gleam of teal in its wake, Endeavor had not slept the night prior, yet he had not moved either. He had sat silently this whole time just staring at the wall with dead tired eyes and it was in that moment Shoto saw him for what he truly was, a mortal man aged by the very world he loved and not the mighty invincible Endeavor most did see. Shoto had worried for nothing, for a crumbled man without his world was of no threat to anyone but himself.


	30. For her, it's all for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two months and two weeks into retirement.

She had slid down the wall and sat there with tired eyes that seemed dead to the world, false doll eyes made of glass. Her soul hurt and she had never felt so worn or old in any other moment than she did now. She couldn’t gather her thoughts properly, it felt as if someone had shredded them and scattered them across many oceans. Without being able to process any emotions or thoughts she sat there her back to the apartment door staring off into nothingness, her eyes never transfixed onto anything in the empty hallway. Toshinori did not know how long she had sat there or why but it was impossible to not notice her when he came home after his classes for the day. Silently he tried to grip her arm to haul her up onto her feet but she flinched at the touch and her eyes suddenly focused, it was like she was waking up from a deep sleep and was groggy. When Sakura turned her head towards him slowly, he saw the glimmer of withheld tears in her apple green eyes. Sucking in a breath he noticed how beautiful her eyes were when she cried but it still hurt to see her in pain even with the beauty it brought. Instead of reaching for her completely again he decided to simply hold out his hand to offer it if she chose to accept it, she lunged at him then. She wrapped herself around him seeking any amount of comfort she could seep from him and he gave her all the comfort he could convey with his return of her desperate hug. He patted and smoothed down her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder letting everything out. He knew better to ask her what or who caused her to cry her heart out onto his chest. No, he knew better than that. She would tell him eventually when she was ready and he was almost certain any way that he knew the answer to what or who caused this anyway. Eventually her sobs slowed into small hiccups and soft sniffles. 

"Thank you Toshinori for telling me, I would have never known. I should have seen the red flags, I should have seen everything." She sniffled as she tried in vain to hold back the building tears that threatened to spill again in a fever, "I needed to know, and I appreciate your honesty. You're always painfully honest huh, such a gentleman." She finished as her voice wobbling at the end, her dam finally broke and they spilled down her cheeks in earnest. 

All he could do was continue to hold her as she sobbed with such an intensity it made her small chest heave visibly, sobbed as her world turned upside down and she was left to deal with the aftermath of the revelation and utter destruction. The pain she felt now would be less than that of if Endeavor had gotten his claws into her more than he already had. He told himself it must be done for her safety but he struggled with his decision as her small form wetted his shirt soaking it in two distinct places with her immense sorrow. Everything he did was for her, and he just had to justify it to himself after the fact. “For her, it's all for her” he repeated internally to sooth himself.


	31. I've never seen a yellow one before in person

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two months, two weeks, and five days since retirement.

The stark amount of vivid yellow honestly hurt her eyes when she looked at it but it was a considerate gesture all the same, the striking blue flower on top distracted from the yellow slightly which she was thankful for. She fingered a stiff yellow ribbon tied like bunny ears that was taped to the top of the miniature plant with blue tape. She had never seen a cactus with a yellow body before in person and she slightly wondered where he got it from so quickly. 

“I know it won’t replace Gaara but hopefully it helps slightly. I know at least you’ll think of me when you see it.” He grinned brightly reminding her of his signature All Might smile. 

The replacement cactus would make her think of him but only in their similar colors they shared, if he was a plant, she would of never chose a cactus to associate him with. Never him, but the mock ribbon headband that resembled his bangs when in hero form did help a little. In her moment of grief and confused anger she hadn’t the time or emotional capability to process what she had done to her beloved cactus Gaara. Toshinori had cleaned up her mess too quickly for her to actually come to terms with her consequences and she wondered in vain if he could have been salvaged from his wreckage on the kitchen floor. But what happened in the past couldn’t be changed no matter what she thought now and she decided to not acknowledge what she couldn’t change. She had been avoiding anything that reminded her of well anything that upset her these past few days. She had been staying home to avoid Shoto in class, any concerns any UA teachers had if they had heard her shrieking in the faculty corridor or her behavior in the top floor dojo. She avoided a lot of things lately, she wanted to feel shame over her shutting herself in but she felt that she needed time. She needed time to shut everything away and breathe, she needed to sort her feelings out and her thoughts. She was in a sort of denial by refusing to talk or think about certain things but she deserved to heal in a way she wished, she was the one in pain. It was her heart and morality at war with herself and each other.   
“Thank you Toshinori, I appreciate it.” She managed to smile, she would trudge forward at her own pace and eventually maybe she would be okay finally.


	32. expanding boundaries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two months, three weeks, and two days into retirement.

Sakura fidgeted with her hands nervously as she tried to contain her worry, though it still swept off of her in waves. Toshinori had told her she needed to redefine her boundaries, expand them not deter them. She trusted him but all she wanted was to stay within her shrinking boundaries, shrink them to where she felt safe and then expand them once again when she felt ready. He told her that it would be better for her his way, that she couldn’t and shouldn’t minimize her progress. She trusted him she reassured herself but he was pushing her boundaries too far and she was scared they’d tear. She had scarce been outside of the UA grounds and when she had it was with Enji and he would meet her at the gates with an escort vehicle at the ready for her safety and privacy. She had not gone to a restaurant or store since before the incident and she sure hadn’t wandered around the open streets or city on foot in so long. It was around 1:30 in the afternoon and the streets were dead thankfully, though they took the back way so if they did run into any citizens it would be minimal. But it wasn’t the possibility of encountering citizens that unnerved her, no, it was their destination that worried her. He said she needed to expand her boundaries back to what they were, work them back to their previous size. She needed to go to old and familiar places and see people she lost contact with, and that’s why they were headed to Eiko’s. She used to go there so often, it was an almost daily thing for her. She felt wrong almost dirty for going now, especially with someone else. She had only gone with him. It was their unofficial secret, they only went with each other and never talked about it with anyone else or extended an invitation however the public knew of their outings. It was hard not to when Eiko had their picture framed for all to see. The picture rotated between being hung up and being next to the register where customers would have to see her two favorite customers. The only thing that powered Sakura on through her muddled thoughts and feelings towards going there now of all times was that she missed the sweet little old lady. She missed her spunk and quirkiness, how she would be so kind and fragile yet not take anything from anyone. Sakura idolized her a little, she wished to be that strong when she was older, for others and herself. Realizing how close they were Sakura decided to get out of her thoughts, she couldn’t think of all the things that could go wrong or could be said. No, she wanted to see her old friend and if she would be okay after this then maybe she could brave other things. Maybe she could see her old apartment or walk her old patrol route, just maybe she could do what she used to without thinking of anything or everything. Walking in behind Toshinori she heard the all too familiar sound of the door’s handmade glass wind-chime and it soothed her momentarily and she remembered all of the good memories she had here. A hollowness settled over her happiness however but the warmth was still there underneath, no matter how smothered. 

“Miss. Watanabe, I have brought your favorite customer back to your kitchens!” Toshinori exclaimed as he puffed out his chest slightly, he always put on his hero persona in public to the regular citizens. But Eiko wasn’t a regular citizen, she was Sakura’s family so it bothered her on the inside. 

Hearing rapid steps Sakura turned, her trained senses going into high alert only to have the very owner of the restaurant slam into her. Eiko had only had only just barely come up to Sakura’s chest and Sakura was only five-foot two so that meant the elderly woman was extremely short in stature however she was very homely and squat so she nearly knocked Sakura over. She didn’t mind however because she had a soft spot in her heart for the woman. Hugging her back Sakura basked in her warmth in the silence as they stood there embracing near the register counter. 

“I thought you’d never come back child, we missed your visits.” Eiko muttered motherly, she had forgotten about Eiko’s grandson temporarily since he made himself so scarce. She had honestly only looked forward to her seeing Eiko. 

Detaching herself from Eiko Sakura guiltily held her elbow in her hand, in her grief she had never thought to ask to visit Eiko’s sweets shop. She knew in the beginning Toshinori would have told her no for her safety. 

“Dear.” Eiko cooed sadly at seeing Sakura’s discomfort, “Come this way, I never let anyone take your reserved booth.” She started leading Sakura towards the booth she always had on reserve for them but she momentarily halted when she noticed All Might still following them, “Oh actually I left the dish bin on that booth earlier today since Hideko made himself disappear again, it's not clean enough for you I’ll put you at another booth.” She smiled sweetly but it didn’t quite reach her eyes, it reminded Sakura of Sasuke’s cousin Sai and of when he usually smiled when they were younger. 

As they passed the usual booth Sakura noticed that the tabletop was pristine, almost perfect but she held her tongue. She couldn’t even tell that the busboy Hideko’s dish bin had been left on top of it. She wondered why Eiko had decided to lie but she let it slide because she assumed it would have been uncomfortable for the elder woman to see someone else in Enji’s side of the booth, Sakura had felt the same about the thought of sitting there with someone else and felt slightly relieved at the woman’s actions. Sitting down across Toshinori Sakura lost herself in the décor of the little shop, she always adored Eiko’s fascination with stars and the like. She always wanted to decorate a room in her house with silvery stars and ink blue wallpaper just like this place, it was soothing and easy on the eyes. She always loved the quiet that came with looking at the stars and night sky. 

“Sakura? Did you hear me?” Toshinori asked his signature smile faltering slightly in concern. 

“Huh? Oh no sorry.” Sakura replied still looking off at the folding screen that separated their booth from the rest of the shop, it didn’t matter thought due to the shop being completely empty. She began tracing the constellations on it, the action mere muscle memory by now. 

“I asked if we should get kuzumochi, it was your favorite right? I remember always seeing you eat some out of a take-out container when on break when you visited UA before.” He smiled softly. 

“Hm?” She turned her head towards him at the mention of the desert, honestly it wasn’t her favorite. Truthfully, she didn’t have a one true favorite food it always rotated between syrup covered anko dango, umeboshi, and anmitsu. “It’s not my favorite,” Staring at the menu uncomfortably she chewed her lip slightly, “I’ll just have one taiyaki please.” She smiled handing Eiko the menu back. 

“This shop has taiyaki? I love that stuff, I’ll have one also please.” Toshinori exclaimed excitedly as he handed his menu to Eiko’s waiting hands. 

They waited in silence for their order and ate quietly also, it was easier for her nerves to settle like this. They went to the register counter where Eiko climbed her step ladder to even be visible over the counter edge and Toshinori paid the bill. Eiko had moved Sakura and Enji’s photo onto the wall this time behind the register. Since the photo was taken years ago a few had been added; Best Jeanist, Aizawa, Present Mic, and Rabbit Hero. Even though the duo never talked about their outings eventually after some of Sakura’s friends noticed her almost constant take-out containers with Eiko’s shop’s emblem stamped on top they decided to venture there. Sometimes they would see the duo there at the shop but keep to themselves and say hello and sometimes when asked how they found out about the shop they’d mention Sakura but either way it ended with Eiko taking a picture of her favorite customers friends also. 

“I see you’re collecting a Pro-Hero customer photo wall, perhaps I could get a picture with Sakura?” Toshinori grinned throwing an arm around Sakura’s shoulder. 

“I’m sorry those are photos of frequent customers, you would have to come by more often and we don’t take photos of multiple Pro-Hero's so it would be of just you or your guest.” Eiko smiled evenly. 

“Well, I’ll be up there by the end of the month because I think bringing Sakura around again would be good for her.” Toshinori smiled confidently, he was sure he’d qualify for a photo by then. “I don’t mean to bother you but do you have a restroom Miss?” He asked his confident smile becoming sheepish as he scratched his cheek. 

“At the end of the row of booths you were at turn right and you’ll find the men and women's bathrooms behind a privacy screen.” Eiko explained as Toshinori speed walked towards the bathrooms. 

“Sakura my dear,” Eiko began after a few moments of watching the direction of the restrooms, “Before you reject this please just accept it.” She began sliding an envelope across the counter, “You don’t have to read it but promise me you’ll think about it.” She finished as she left the envelope at the end of the counter. 

Turning over the envelope over the glint of pale gold caught her eye and she dropped the envelope like it had burned her. It was the exact same pale gold as her Pro-Hero costume and she had only seen the customized wax color from one person. 

“Eiko you don’t understand, you wouldn’t ask me if you knew.” Sakura stuttered flustered at the old woman’s request, she shoved the envelope across the counter top harshly causing a prominent crease in its lower half. 

“Sakura my dear,” Eiko began gently, all the warmth in her voice showed how motherly she was and made Sakura wish her mother had used that tone on her just even once in her life. 

“Stop, I know. I know,” Eiko whispered as she wrapped her own hands around Sakura’s shaking ones, “I hadn’t seen him since your incident made the news dear, he never came without you. He came in the other day and just sat in the booth and stared at nothing. He left a letter behind with your name on it. I don’t know what he did but at least take it.” Eiko unwrapped from Sakura’s hands and tucked the envelope into the younger woman’s pant pocket. 

Before Sakura could protest more Toshinori returned from the bathroom and he thanked Eiko for her wonderful cooking and began to leave holding the door open for Sakura. When she got home, Sakura headed straight for her bedroom and began stripping throwing her clothes at the hamper and then went through the adjoining bathroom door in her room to take a shower. She couldn’t think in the shower when water pelted her like angry rain and that was what she needed now. She didn’t know how long she stayed in there but she didn’t turn off the facet until the water had long begun running cold. Throwing on her fluffy bathrobe she went to her room again to find pajamas. Her curiosity nagged at her until she gave in and went to retrieve the letter. Panic sank in as she realized half of her laundry was gone from the hamper. Running to the washer she skidded to a halt when she realized it was currently on and with a new load inside running. Turning to Toshinori who sat on the couch folding laundry her eyes widened. 

“Did you come into my room?” Sakura demanded, she thought she wouldn’t have opened the letter but now she was robbed of the opportunity to even consider it. 

He kept folding laundry not looking up at her but his brow furrowed at her tone, “I didn’t know how long you’d take and I wanted you to have fresh clothes for tomorrow morning, sorry If I crossed any boundaries since you were in the,” He stopped talking once he looked up at her and his face bloomed red, it was then Sakura remembered she was still in her robe. 

Embarrassed she gripped her robe tighter together and fled to her bedroom. Leaning with her back against the door her heart thundered in her chest and she sank down towards the floor. Trying to calm her rapidly beating heart she realized she shouldn’t have taken that tone with him, he didn’t know she had an envelope stashed inside. He could never know she had an envelope stashed inside, not after how she reacted to Enji’s past coming to light. Him accidentally washing her pants had to be a sign, a sign that she needed to let go. The past was behind her, she couldn’t change it so she couldn’t look back.


	33. Mint in the hills

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to BlueNightingale19 for your sweet and encouraging words last chapter.  
> Three months, one week, and two days into retirement.

“Mint, their leaves are arranged in opposite pairs.” Izuku questioned out loud before he began to continuously repeat it under his breath so he wouldn’t forget. 

“Yes, and they should be flowering right now.” Sakura reminded him as he took off down the hill, “Wait! Remember to use your drawing for reference!” She yelled as an afterthought while cupping her hands around her mouth. He had left his sketchbook behind in his haste but he was probably too far to hear her anyway now. 

“It’s sweet of you to help him learn herbology.” Toshinori complemented genuinely as his eyes continued to follow young Izuku as he searched for herbs. 

“It’s a skill most people should know, and I’m happy to pass my knowledge on to the next generation of course.” She replied evenly as she shook her head no at Izuku who had waved at her with a plant clutched in his hand he thought was mint. 

Herbology was something Sakura was always passionate about and she could pinpoint the exact moment she became mesmerized by it. Once she realized her quirk was related to plants and vegetation, but not exactly what it was she began to consume anything and everything she could get her hands on about the subject. She desperately wanted to know more about the protentional her quirk held and how she could utilize it and so her obsession began. 

“It’s still very kind of you Sakura.” Toshinori said slightly stern, he wouldn’t let her down talk her good deeds or actions. 

“And it’s very kind of you to give me some freedom again.” Sakura replied dryly as she peered at him through the corner of her eyes. 

Toshinori floundered awkwardly as he tried to explain himself in vain but Sakura’s laugh cut off his ramblings. 

“I was kidding, I know the Pro-Hero council charged you with my safety and wellbeing so it's out of your hands how much freedom they allow you to give me.” She supplied evenly, “Though I am grateful for the increased space.” She finished as she once again continued to watch the far away outline of Izuku, it didn’t take long for her to abandon the action and instead lie on her back in the fresh grass of the hill. 

The sunlight here, she always bathed in it. She ate it up and absorbed as much as she could like a potted plant that had finally been moved outside after spending most of its life inside. Toshinori had been increasing their outings more and more lately and she couldn’t complain, if anything she reveled in it. After their outing to Eiko’s sweets shop Toshinori seemed to slowly relent when it came to Sakura asking to be allowed more leniency with how far she could go and where, the only condition was that he accompanied her of course. However, today was like most days where they would go to a secluded hill area outside of the city that not many knew about and have a picnic. It started out as only the two of them and eventually she had slipped and said something about the local floral life in front of Izuku. Her passion about herbology sparked something in him and he asked if he could go so that she could teach him about the subject. He was an eager sponge and it reminded her of her younger self when she first got a taste of it and she relented. Soon after a while it became expected that he would come every time they went, and every time he’d sketch and find a different plant Sakura described just prior. This particular outing was the mint plant. However, something that never escaped her notice was that Toshinori only asked Izuku’s mother for permission whenever they took these outings. 

“I’ve noticed that Izuku never talks about his father.” Sakura commented to her companion quietly as they watched said boy, his animated figure was a blur from the distance he had put between them but he was determined to find a mint plant. 

Izuku was currently collecting different types of plants in the distance so they could speak freely without fear of being heard and she took advantage of the situation. She had told him that mint only prospered in the area in between the hill's crevices so every crevice that showed no signs of his conquest only pushed him further and further away to another one. It explained why his outline was such a blur from the distance in between them but even at this distance she could see him hunched over with multiple plants in his arms and hands, he was a sponge when it came to knowledge and anyone that watched him for longer than ten seconds could tell you that. 

“Ah yes, he’s,” Toshinori paused, “not in the picture.” Toshinori solemnly replied as his eyes still followed the boy who quickly plucked away the countryside. 

Sakura did not know whether or not he meant he was deceased or had simply left his family behind but she chose not to ask since she knew better. 

“Well I think you’re a great influence on him and a wonderful male figure.” Sakura complimented feeling certain with her admission. 

“You really think so,” Toshinori chuckled nervously, “I hope one day I’ll be just as good with my own kid.” He reflexively rubbed the back of his neck and Sakura thought it meant he was nervous at the idea of becoming a father one day however he was just anxious because of who he was talking to about the subject. 

“Hey, you’ll be a great dad one day.” Sakura spoke with a smile as she lightly slugged his shoulder from their spot on the grass.


	34. Ice Prince

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three months, three weeks, and four days into retirement.

“So, what did the prince of 1-a do huh?” Monoma questioned smugly as his nose upturned snobbishly towards the clear skies and for a moment, he regarded Shoto and how his face refused to give any indication of whether or not he was right, “No, apparently not, or perhaps it was your father? Medicinal Snare is being quite chummy with All Might recently. Heard a rumor she had to choose between your family and All Might after the attack, we all see what she chose.” 

“Monoma.” A ginger girl from 1-b growled in warning from the sidelines, she had always been the first to respond to her classmate’s childish antics and always the first one to successfully stop them too. 

“What Itsuka?” the boy mockingly asked as he twirled around to face her direction, “We all want to know why, why Medical Snare chose All Might and now why she’s back again but only our class.” He finished defiantly; the crowd of students became eerily calm at his outspokenness. 

It was true that everyone questioned the retired Pro-Hero's actions and behaviors as of late and nosily wanted to know why she had chosen this or that. But not everyone knew about her returning for classroom visits, especially class 1-a and it was obvious by the heavy silence that blanketed and coated almost half of the crowd. 

“What do you mean she’s back?” Uraraka asked aloud for all of her classmates who were too confused to voice their own thoughts aloud. 

“Oh right, you don’t know. Well it would be hard to know when she’s sneaking around to and from classes after students are cleared from the corridor huh?” He said flippantly as his resolve came back, “I really wasn’t going to tell you I swear, just nose around for answers to other questions. But honestly it was tiring poking around other classes for any information when it turns out they had none. But you know the saying about what happened already happened.” He finished cheekily. 

“A Pro-Hero would not avoid an entire classroom of students for no reason.” Iida commented coming to their beloved teachers defense in her absence. 

“Well it’s not all of you, isn’t it? Pink hair is kind of hard to miss when spotted around in public, so is green.” The blonde commented off handedly as his pale eyes slid in the direction of Izuku who in turn lowered his eyes shamefully. 

Shoto’s mismatched eyes sought out his green haired friend’s but only for a brief moment did they actually meet, but Shoto couldn’t find anything but guilt in his green orbs only confirming Monoma’s accusations. Izuku had not been informed by any party why Medicinal Snare had done any of the things she had but he knew it wasn’t his place to bother her with answers, it was an adult situation and he knew he was still a child. 

“Monoma you need to stop.” Itsuka warned half-heartedly, she wanted to stop him. She really wanted to and she knew it was the right thing to do but a small sliver inside herself wouldn’t let her and her own curiosity made her sick with guilt and selfishness. 

“Why?” He demanded with a frustrated sigh, “We finally have a trump card over 1-a after everything, and you want to stop me from bragging? You know they get special treatment all the time why deny it?” He finished in a huff as he raked his hand through his bangs in agitation. 

“Because it’s wrong,” Izuku shouted out, “It’s wrong to brag about things that will hurt people, friend, or not.” He ended as he slid his gaze anywhere but in Shoto’s direction. 

He had meant to speak from the heart but his sweet words only caused Monoma to laugh tauntingly, “Wrong? You speak about wrong after you still getti-” 

But he did not get to finish, instead a screech like noise filled the air as all eyes darted to Monoma and his now partially frozen body. Shoto’s ice had accelerated towards Monoma before he could finish and encased almost his entire body, the shoulders and downwards were unrecognizable as an enormous amount of ice froze around him. He wasn’t in any danger but he would need a teacher and most likely Recovery Girl to heal any beginning signs of frostbite. 

“Hey Ice Prince you can’t do this!” Monoma yelled as he struggled visibly from the neck up, “Are you just going to let him do this class president?” He complained towards class 1-a's president Iida. 

“Ehm, well I’ll just go get a teacher.” Iida coughed firmly into his hand before taking off towards the teachers’ lounge. 

XxXxXx 

(Earlier this week) 

“The rising heroes of tomorrow need you Sakura, just consider coming back even just once. It can be a spur of the moment for the students, a surprise for them.” Toshinori asked gently. 

She bit her lip nervously and began chewing on it with a fever, “I’m not ready to go back. I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to go back.” She finished in a whisper. 

“Sakura,” He started as he gently pulled her tiny hands into his own, “The rising heroes of tomorrow need you but YOU don’t need all of them in return. You don’t have to go back to 1-a. You don’t have to go back alone; I’ll be there with you every step of the way.” He smiled softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just finished my first semester of college and I have a short break before summer semester starts so I'm back to writing chapters for this story!


	35. I don't want to hurt her more than I already have

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> four months, one week, and two days into retirement.

Before sunlight had even properly poured over the city and most things still had a grey hue to them Toshinori heard a gentle knocking on the apartment’s front door which woke him from his light sleep. Slipping gently into the hallway he wondered who would have business with himself or Sakura at this hour, certainly not the young Midoriya or Aizawa. 

Once outside his apartment he was met with the sight of Best Jeanist in his casual clothes, his scarf seemingly obscured the lower half of his face and it was then he realized it must just be a fashion choice of his. The young blonde shuffled uncomfortably under All Might's scrutiny, he had activated his quirk considering he didn't know who was exactly knocking at his door at six am of all times and he wondered if his form intimidated the smaller man. 

"Best Jeanist, this is a surprise." He spoke quietly as he gently closed the apartment's door behind him as he stepped fully into the corridor, “It’s um six am.” He finished as he peered groggily at his watch through his still slightly blurry vision. 

Best Jeanist avoided Toshinori's eyes and it made him wonder why the young man was so visibly uncomfortable. 

"Ah yeah I just, um," He looked past All Might's shoulder to the apartment door and suddenly Toshinori realized exactly why he was here, "I've been trying to come up with the courage to visit her, I swear. I just didn't know how to face her. I couldn’t sleep last night and I went on a last-minute night patrol to clear my head and I just found myself here." He finished casting his eyes downwards as his words got quieter by the second. 

"Face her?" Toshinori questioned raising an eyebrow, what did this boy have to fear when seeing Sakura. He hadn't hurt her, he saved her if he remembered correctly. If anything, Toshinori owed this young man for saving the light that became his very world, a debt that felt heavy on his broad shoulders. 

"She was so broken when I held her, I offered to help her with her patrol if she ever needed it since mine bordered hers. I should have been faster, responded quicker. I should have forced one of the new recruits in my agency to check up on her during her patrols. It happened only a street over from my area. I was on patrol that day while she was being hurt." He answered pouring his heart and anguish out, he blamed himself Toshinori realized. 

Seeing how much he blamed himself for something he couldn't have helped proved to Toshinori that this man cared for Sakura and he had failed to protect her when she was so close to him. Best Jeanist did not let his emotions control him, he was the most composed and sensible Pro-Hero public image wise and it made Toshinori uncomfortable to see such a personal side of the young man he did not know. 

"You did all you could have done, don't blame yourself for something you couldn't have helped with." Toshinori spoke trying to comfort and calm the visitor, Sakura was still asleep in her room and he didn't want anyone waking her yet. Especially waking her to another's guilt over what happened to her, she had enough issues to work out herself and she couldn't deal with this. 

He did not remember if they were close or not and the only interaction, he recalled was the Pro-Hero winter party, where he danced with her. Remembering the interaction suddenly other pieces started to fall together that made Toshinori's eyes narrow. Just how close were they, or how close was this man trying to get to Sakura. He remembered Endeavor's fire activating without command at the sight of the duo dancing that night and how the air around him darkened, if Endeavor of all people felt threatened than Toshinori should worry. Shouldn't he? Was this the admirer Sakura mentioned that bought her a too expensive gift for Valentine's day when she mentioned how grateful she was for Toshinori's simpler gift? 

"Do I look fine? I don't want her to feel uneasy if I look too unkept or nervous. I need to look strong for her." Best Jeanist asked pulling Toshinori out of his thoughts. 

The boy looked nervous but still well put together, if it wasn't for his small breakdown earlier, he would have never pegged him as distressed as he was on the inside. He was attractive, and Sakura had a soft spot for blondes if her past was anything to go off of. Best Jeanist was a leaner built young man and reminded him of how healthy he used to look at that age so long ago. Comparing himself with the boy made his side hurt but he fought the urge to touch his scar. 

"You do not need to look strong for her, she has Endeavor and I too do that. She just needs regular support from her friends." Toshinori spoke evenly as he dodged the question, him dodging the question did not go unnoticed by his companion and even though Toshinori dodged the question due to bitter envy it instead made Best Jeanist think his appearance matched his inside feelings when it didn't. He looked fine, hell he looked attractive and Toshinori couldn’t admit that aloud when it was already running through his insecure mind. 

Best Jeanist picked at his scarf needing to focus his hands on something since they wouldn’t stop fidgeting, " I just don't want to alarm her, I'm worried I might trigger something in her since I was the one to stop him. I don't want to hurt her more than I already have." He whispered as his voice dwindled at the last few words. 

"You know now that you mention it maybe you shouldn't be here," Toshinori mentioned as he narrowed his eyes in false thought, "It took her more than a month to see her partner again, and everyone knows she cares too deeply for him. I don't think you're close enough to her for her to get over the connection you have to the incident. Not yet at least, I would give her more time." He purposely phrased his words ambiguously when mentioning her relationship with Endeavor, Toshinori's closeness with her wasn't intimidating to others but many thought there was something more there with her partner. It didn’t hurt to not add how her relationship was severed with Endeavor either, it wasn’t important he told himself. She deserved her privacy he reminded himself, she deserved it at least. 

"I don't want to hurt her more than I already have." Best Jeanist whispered under his breath, Endeavor was never an obstacle to him. He knew Sakura was too honorable to do anything with a married man but Sakura's safety physically and mentally concerned him. 

All Might struggled with himself internally at the fellow Pro-Hero's insecurity that he was exploiting but he tried in vain to reason with himself it was better this way. He could tell from this young man’s mannerisms that that sentence he kept repeating had already been repeating in silence in his conscious. He didn’t want to hurt her more than he already supposedly had but Toshinori WAS strong and he could be there for Sakura, he had been there for her already. He thought of their outings with the young Midoriya, how their almost every other day picnics almost made him think of them as family outings. He thought of her coming back to the UA classrooms even if it was only one class for now and how she had done so with him by her side.

Best Jeanist would only hurt her if he came near her with his guilt and sorrow, he told himself. He still hadn't put back up the apartment's mirrors and he knew she couldn't handle the grief another went through because of her. Hugging young Shoto had caused her to burst into tears with her walls shattering around her, he had not seen her cry enough these few months for how much she had gone through. He could count the times on only two hands he thought sourly. He knew she was trying to be strong for everyone else, and herself too. This was for the better. Best Jeanist left without seeing Sakura and Toshinori never told her he came; it was for the best he told himself repeatedly in his mind. He told himself a lot of things these days.


	36. Go home Shoto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Four months, two weeks, and one day into retirement.

Dread pumped through out All Might’s veins as the sixth knock sounded against the apartment’s door, he had been preparing himself for if Best Jeanist decided to return again but he was spared that obstacle when he entered the hallway. He was blessed for not seeing the face of Best Jeanist but cursed for seeing the mismatched eyes of his student young Shoto. At least Sakura was out of the apartment and on the upper floor of the apartment complex with Midoriya inside the teacher’s dojo. 

"I wish to see Sakura." He asked keeping his face completely blank as All Might stood half in and half out of the apartment. 

"I don't think that's a smart idea young Shoto," All Might closed the door behind him and once it clicked closed, he stood in front of the door blocking it, there was no need to let him know she wasn’t home if anything he would just leave to find her, "I understand now why you and your father aren't close, so does Sakura. I know you've noticed how your father has been acting as of late, Sakura doesn't wish to see him anymore and what happened to you is part of the reason why." He explained with false warmth as if he was a young child not understanding adult matters, but Shoto could see through his facade and fake concern for his behalf. 

"You look at her the same way my father does, you wish to hoard her for yourself." Shoto spoke as his back straightened, he wasn't asking a question or making an accusation. No, he was stating a fact. 

All Might stood a little taller at Shoto's claim and obvious hostile stance, "If you mean I wish to keep her safe from monsters when I know she'll always be safe with me than yes." 

"I wish to speak to her." Shoto demanded again, it sounded more like a question than a demand but it was only due to his dwindling respect for his teacher and number one Pro-Hero that he didn't outright order to see her. In Shoto’s mind he had more claim to talking to Sakura than All Might had, however the two did not share this mindset. 

"I will be honest with you young Shoto, Sakura isn't coping well. Losing your father means losing you and your sister too. She's already lost so much and if she saw your face it might cause more harm than you think, all she will be able to see when she looks at you right now will be what happened to you. Can you handle that level of change, that level of pity?" All Might questioned rationally, his words cut deep since Shoto had thought about these thoughts on the walk over. 

"I change my mind," Shoto began causing All Might to smile slightly, "You do not look at her the same, at least he offers her the world and would not cage her and let her wither away. You’re a worse monster, you both lie but at least he tries to change for her where as you only degrade worse and worse in character. But this doesn’t matter since we both know you won’t tell her I came over just like you probably did with Best Jeanist." He finished as he watched All Might's smile disappear and become replaced with a firm line instead. 

"Go home Shoto." Only three words and the elder man of the two tried to disappear back into the apartment leaving Shoto alone in the darkened hallway but the young boy struck his right foot out to block the door’s closure wordlessly. 

“What did he say to you?” He questioned without changing his expression in the slightest, “What did you say to him?” He inquired more firmly deciding that what the visitor had to say was less important than what All Might had said to him in return. 

“Did you know he took a break from Pro-Heroing?” He asked rhetorically, everyone knew that top Pro-Hero Best Jeanist suddenly took a sporadic break from hero work and refused to answer questions on why. But Shoto knew there was more to this drastic change in Best Jeanist’s behavior, after all he had seen the man’s deflated demeanor when he exited the teacher’s apartment complex minutes later that day. 

It was then that it clicked for Toshinori suddenly, Shoto had been watching him and if he had seen Best Jeanist enter and possibly leave then what else had he seen since then? How closely had he been watching them too? He remembered hearing the whispers around the school from the students about young Shoto having a break down and freezing a fellow student in front of many witnesses and he wondered if he had been watching them since the incident. It unnerved him that the boy had been watching them and he didn’t know since exactly when. Sure it had only been a week since Best Jeanist had conversed with Toshinori but the whole notion of being watched since at least then unnerved him honestly. 

“I said go home Shoto.” All Might repeated as his own foot forcefully pushed the young boy’s out of the door’s way, “Children do not belong in adult matters.” It was then that Shoto was finally left in the darkened hallway for real this time, he did not know how long he stood there for but his mind raced wildly with numerous thoughts. 

He could melt the door. He could freeze it until it was so cold a single kick could break it. He could use both. He could call his father. But instead he did nothing except stand there in complete silence. He couldn't bring himself to do anything. What if him bursting in triggered something in her? What if she thought her abuser came after her? What if she did look at him in pity? Would she even look at him? Tearing himself away from his thoughts he frowned deeply before he set off on his way to the elevator. He would never know she was a mere couple of stories above him in that moment and not behind that door. He would instead leave like a coward for now, he couldn't cause her anymore trauma or risk seeing the pity in her eyes from looking at him. He couldn't do anything but be disgusted at himself for abandoning her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please remember this is a "lesser of two evils" themed story and to not take these characters actions as acceptable, toxic relationships are not okay or goals.


	37. Careful who you choose as family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Five months and six days into retirement.

"I hope I'm not over stepping my boundaries but I remembered you saying you didn't really belong to your family by choice and well I thought that I should let you know you're welcome in our family. So far, it's only my mentor, Izuku, and I but we'd be glad to have you." Toshinori finished as she began unwrapping the rectangle shaped box. 

Inside the meticulously wrapped box was a cotton sky blue vest with an All Might emblem on the back between where her shoulder blades would be, "I got it custom made, it's modeled after that red vest you wore in all of your high school photos you've shown me. You two seemed inseparable." He laughed awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

They had been inseparable; she had only put it away the day she left home with Naruto because it was in her family's colors with their large symbol on the top back. She hadn't cared for her family anymore so she did away with it out of spite, but this was something else. It was something more for her. She believed wholeheartedly everyone chooses who they call family and who they don't regardless of blood. She considered Toshinori and Izuku her family more than her own parents that she hadn't seen in years. The ones that hadn't even shown up in the hospital that day. Instead of dwelling on her hurtful past she decided to swallow it down for the moment and be in this moment instead. 

"Can I try it on?" She asked smiling brightly. 

"Of course!" Toshinori exclaimed excitedly as he stood to help her into the new vest. 

She wasn’t wearing it as a shirt like before in her school days and instead slipped it on over her dull grey tank top, it fit loosely but in an intentional way. Just like how she wore her old one, and in a way that didn’t make sense she felt a sort of nostalgia pour through her even though it wasn’t the same vest as before. 

"How do I look?" She asked giving him a quick twirl so he could give an honest answer, he gave her two thumbs up in return to her question as she laughed. "I wish I could see." She said accidentally. 

She knew he took down the mirrors throughout the house within the first month of her stay but at a moment like this she wished he hadn't. 

"I still have one in my bedroom on my closet door, so cheer up." He added ruffling her hair endearingly. 

She shot up from the kitchen bar-stool and sprinted to his bedroom excited to see how to jacket looked on her. She hadn't really looked in a mirror since before he took them down. Stopping in front of the mirror she didn't even focus on her new present instead she focused on her hair. It hadn't been this long in years. It had grown out from being a short pixie cut with longer split bangs, now it hung at her chin and her bangs barely an inch above her shoulders. Seeing Toshinori in the reflection come up behind her she chose to seize the opportunity. 

"We are here!" She grinned holding up the ends of her longer bangs in imitation of Toshinori's All Might hairstyle. 

"We are here!" He copied as he activated his quirk behind her flexing his arms. 

"I love it, thank you Toshinori." Sakura said turning around to hug him, the surprise physical contact caused him to deactivate his quirk on accident. 

Even though he knew she could feel his scared side through his thin shirt she continued hugging him as if it didn't matter, and for a moment he remembered that it didn't matter and that to her he was still himself in either form. Hugging her back he looked over her form to the mirror and he looked at her upper back. The red All Might emblem stood out like a sore thumb on the sky blue but it looked so natural with her wearing it. Something swelled in his chest and he realized he had never felt so content before than in that very moment. As she stared up at him, he didn't know why he did it but he kissed her. As if he suddenly realized what he had done he released her, his heart beat loudly in his ears as he began panicking at what he had just done. 

"Sakura, I didn't mean, I mean I don't know why I did that! I'm sorry I didn't-" He flustered horribly trying to explain himself and his actions. 

However, Sakura cut him off before he could fumble over his own words anymore and she kissed him. Taken back by her recuperating his feelings he didn't kiss back at first, once he processed what was happening, he kissed her back with all the want he had been feeling since he met her and had been shoving down. She matched his pace and he bit down on her bottom lip causing her to gasp and he slipped in his tongue. Their hands began roaming and a sound escaped Sakura that was too much for him and he brought them to the bed. Feeling insecure about her first time seeing him without his shirt and it being during their first time he hesitated and activated his quirk. 

"Deactivate it, I want the real you." She told him as she sat on the edge of the bed. 

Hesitant he deactivated his quirk and kissed her, it was more of a nervous kiss and he worried still. Sakura ran her hands up his shirt and then sides past his scar and wound her arms around his back and dragged them downwards leaving angry little lines in their wake. Toshinori decided his nerves could wait, this was more important. She was more important. All hesitation behind him Toshinori unhooked her bra as he trailed kisses down her neck to her collar bone stopping right above the swell of her breasts. Returning to her lips he kissed her fully with certainty. He would worship her if she allowed him, and she did. They turned into a pile of tangled limbs underneath the covers and afterwards he fell asleep with her nestled up to his side. 

Looking towards the floor Sakura caught a glimpse of her new vest on the floor and she felt guilty having only opened it merely an hour ago. Curiosity getting the better of her she slunk silently out of bed and fetched the vest zipping it up just enough to keep her chest modest and she looked at herself in the mirror again. An angry hickey sat in-between her collar bone and neck and she noticed light nail imprints on her hips. Fingering her frazzled hair, she focused again on how much longer it truly had gotten in these six months. As she studied her reflection, she noticed a small triangle of white sticking out very faintly from the back of the mirror. 

Curious she grabbed it careful not to cause the mirror to fall on accident. After peeling it out extremely slow she realized it was an envelope, turning it over to see a name or stamp or anything she saw her name on the back with an all too familiar custom wax seal. Quietly she sat on the floor next to the foot of the bed and painfully slow ripped open the envelope and read the writing she knew well enough to forge by pure memory. Every sentence caused her to crumble the edges of the paper in hurt as her fists clenched tighter and tighter. Looking up from her spot on the floor she realized she was across from the floor length mirror and she looked at her reflection with disgust and turned her head to look at Toshinori's slumbering form. 

Turning back to the mirror she recoiled at herself, revolted by what she saw. Revolted by her very own existence. Fisting the letter in one hand she dropped her head ashamed until the disgust at herself turned into cold fury and she threw the nearest object at the mirror. It shattered loudly, the sound piercing in the deathly quiet room. Toshinori shot up alarmed and alert preparing for the worst, but an intruder would be the least of his worries. Hurriedly scanning the room for Sakura he noticed her at her place on the floor and she gazed up at him with fire in her eyes, the evergreen forest he had grown to love in them was ablaze. With confusion coloring his face he spotted the discard envelope at her feet and the crumbled paper in her palm.


	38. Its all coming to an end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Five months and seven days into retirement.

‘I have always treated as you were supposed to be, you were a subordinate until you proved your worth otherwise. I have never sheltered you when you did not need it. You are my equal and if I can watch the world collapse around me then I will not hide its monstrosity from you either. I have lied and I have manipulated you to my liking however I accept my past. The past is behind us all, we cannot change it so I never look back. I only regret hurting you. I should not have waited so long to resolve my marriage, and I should not have waited until that damned day. I should not have listened to All Might about my eyes, and I should not have withheld my past from you if I am not ashamed of it. I am not ashamed of my past but I am ashamed of my losing you. You will always know where I am should you need me, and I will always be waiting for your return. But I will not come to you, you deserve to choose your path and I will not intervene. I will be just an option that always awaits you. Whenever you can bring yourself to look at me again just find me, I will answer your call no matter the hour nor time.’ 

There was no dear Sakura or sincerely Endeavor, or even a simple signature because they both knew they did not need it. He knew she would know who it was from, whose writing it contained and she did. 

"Why? Why would you tell him that?" She pleaded shakily holding the sides of her head with her trembling palms, the look in Enji's eyes that day would never leave her and it would haunt her forever. 

Multiple faces flashed before his eyes, tell who what exactly? Tell Endeavor about possibly triggering Sakura with his eyes? Telling Endeavor that it was for the best not to tell Sakura about the UA attack? Telling Best Jeanist he should stay away? Telling Shoto to go home? What exactly was she talking about? It had to be about Endeavor he realized; it was always about him it seemed. 

"Please Sakura I only did what I thought was best for you. He called every day and I eventually told him about the report so he would stay away in case our theory was right, I worried it would undo you even more if you saw his eyes." Toshinori pleaded to her, he was doing the right thing for her mental safety in that moment of uncertainty. He knew he did, everything he did was for her. 

Sakura went inhumanly still until her hands slid down from their place at her temples to the sides of her neck where they barely grazed her collarbone, "He called? Of course, he did." The slight pressure she applied to her own neck was the only thing grounding her as of now. 

She had feared he didn't wish to see her or look at her after her attack because of him revering her as weak as lesser than before, his absence of contact and communication helped fuel that sweltering fear inside her. Of course he called, even after how cold she had been to him when she had woken up that day in those pristine white sheets with the smell of disinfectant heavy in her nostrils. A frail hand clasped gently onto her shoulder grounding her into reality and away from her inner musings, letting out a shaky breath she looked at the man she had thought to be her saint and savior who she trusted. At the man she had started to grow attached to and care for deeper than their previous Pro-Hero acquaintanceship, at the man she had once deemed honest. 

Her bangs shadowed her face in the moment she faced him, "What else have you done?" She whispered barely able to be heard, "What else have you done!" She echoed again but this time with a screech as she shrugged off his hand as if it had burned her skin. 

"Everything I've done it's been for you Sakura, I needed to keep you safe." Toshinori countered feeling his world slip through his fingers like sand, she caught how he evaded the question completely. Her rose colored glasses were no more, she had stomped them herself to save herself the pain those would bring her. 

He would not tell her about Best Jeanist or young Shoto or his only reason for failing to keep her apartment was from fear of losing what they could have had, of what they still could have if she'd just listen. 

However, one sentence from the letter repeated itself constantly in her head as if it truly wished to haunt her, and if that was its goal then it was accomplishing it. 

‘Whenever you can bring yourself to look at me again just find me, I will answer your call no matter the hour nor time.’ A deeply masculine voice reminded her, and then as if her brain was purely mechanical and not flesh, she swore she could hear the gears clicking and creaking into motion. 

Why would he phrase it like that? At any moment, no matter when? 

“Am I allowed to leave you? Not wander around the city without you but actually leave at any time? Did the council relieve you of my guardianship?” Sakura asked, no demanded, there was no room in her tone for uncertainty or question only a cold fury at the possibility of his answer. 

His silence might as well have been a confession to her, she knew him or at least she thought she had. The only thing his silence had accomplished was to stroke those low embers in her heart into a raging hungry all-consuming anger. It threatened to consume her and she would let it. She had felt robbed of so many things these last few months; her dignity, her pride, and of her freedom. All in the name of her well-being, it was all for her is what he had convinced himself and she knew she could not change his thought process. 

He tried softly touching her shoulder again and this time instead of shrugging it off her vines acted on reflex and intercepted his hand half way in a death grip, they would not fail her again. She had dominion over them and they would listen to her demands whether subconscious or outright ordered. She was tired of being weak, of being preyed upon. 

"Don't you ever touch me again!" She seethed her words coming out in a poisonous hiss, her vines flexed slightly tighter and then lessened before releasing him. She felt no remorse this time for hurting someone close to her on accident, he had begun to her hurt he the moment he omitted the truth and let the snowball spiral until it captured all of the snow on the mountain top. 

In his shock Toshinori struggled with keeping a grip on reality and failed to realize she was getting dressed until she put her last leg in the pair of sweat pants she pulled from his dresser. With her hair still a tangled nest and wearing his gifted vest she headed for the apartment door now deeming herself decent. 

"W-wait!"He stuttered, "Where are you going! It's dangerous out there Sakura!" He called after her as she departed out of the doorway and into the corridor. He chased after her now as she took a left turn for the stairwell instead of the elevator as she hurried down the many many levels of stairs she would have to descend. 

"I'm in more danger with you." She uttered emotionlessly once he caught up to her, he flinched at the implications of her words but didn't forcibly stop her descent because he knew she'd see the light of day before they made it to the ground level. 

"What do you want me to say Sakura?" He begged as she refused to look anywhere but down at the next step she would touch with her foot, "Please, please talk to me." He pleaded his voice getting shakier at her increased speed. 

Her silence spoke volumes, it spoke of her wrath and of her fury. But most importantly her final decision, her lip quirked downwards in a slight scowl. At least she was showing some sort of emotion with him, something. She was listening, she wasn't tuning him out entirely or else he wouldn't get a reaction out of her. He had everything to lose if she made it to the ground floor and with her quickened pace the next four floors would be conquered before he knew it. With everything to lose he laid all of his cards out hoping for her mercy, for her approval. 

"I love you!" He shouted causing her to stop dead in her tracks, he knew he finally had a real chance and he went for it gambling everything, "I always admired you from the side lines and wished to be closer to you! I never would have thought you would of chose me when the Pro-Hero council gave you the ultimatum but you did!" He smiled minuscule mostly at the memory. 

"You came into my life and I couldn't have been happier and I wanted more, I needed more and I did things that I shouldn't have done. Things that I constantly had to justify to myself. I lied and I omitted the truth, I manipulated people. I just found myself in love with you one day and I was scared I'd never get to have the chance to have you return those feelings." He earnestly poured his heart out knowing this was his trump card and if nothing else worked this had to, it was his last hopeful attempt. It was a losing gamble but he needed to play it or he'd lose her. 

Sakura sat eerily still facing forward, her posture as straight as a board with her back to him, " You separated my main support from me when I needed him most out of love?" She turned around and disgust was evident on her face as clear as he had ever seen it, "He may be a monster but you are also in your own right. I am pure poison; I ruin everything I touch look at you. Look at," 'Naruto', 'Dabi' her mind finished for her silently, "Everyone I touch comes out for the worse but him. He changed for the better, I finally changed someone for the better and it was him of all people. He did not make up excuses for what he had done, no he owned up to them. You come up with excuse after excuse for anything you've done. You do not even believe in me." She finished regarding how he kept the UA mountain retreat a secret among other things. 

Her vines sprang forward on their own accord to the railing wrapping around it in a death like grip that would have crushed bones into powder, she could hear the figurative crunch in the back of her mind and she relished in the thought of making that sound a reality. The wrath burning inside her would consume her, it had already begun. She was poison and she would need to embrace her nature; she was just as bad as these men in her own right. They were attracted to her for a reason. 

No longer waiting for his guilty silence or stammered excuses that he choked on, her vines threw her down the empty middle of the winding staircase. Closing her eyes as she fell backwards, she realized that she had felt so free in that moment, the noise of the wind lashing at her comforted her. It brought back flashes of her Pro-Hero career and when she would throw herself away from or at the action and thrill of the fight with a villain. She relished in that feeling, in that swell of emotion until she heard the resounding slap of her vines constricting against the railing once again except when she opened her eyes, she noticed she was on the first floor this time around. Her vines were the only piece of her she could trust; they were a part of her body and always would be. But even then, they had betrayed her in her moment of desperation, of life-threatening need. Everyone betrayed everyone eventually, and she just needed to realize this, come to terms with this harsh reality and she finally had. 

Knowing if she made it outside of those doors this was over, he ran down the stairs huffing out of breath and just barely made it to her before she opened the main exit. The whistling of the midnight breeze beyond the door tempted her so deeply, she was so close to true freedom. 

"Stop, just please I need you." He begged as he stood in front of her his body spread out to take up the space of the doorway, he was trying to block her exit but in his under-powered form he was no match. 

She shoved him aside and walked out into the crisp night air immediately getting goosebumps from the chill and from the realization this was really happening. Setting her eyes on the gigantic front gate Sakura heaved a steadying breath before making it towards her smaller goal, first the UA school property gate and then Todoroki manor. Her vision became obscured and she had realized it was because Toshinori now stood in front of her blocking her vision with his plain grey tee, he normally would have never obscured her sight with his size. However, he had activated One for All. 

"You promised." Sakura breathed out taken back by his course of action, he had promised to never use his powers against her but here they were. 

His lips set into a grim line indicating he did feel bad about it yet he still was going through with it, " I'm sorry." He whispered as he tried to reach out to her. 

Sakura felt tears swell in her eyes once again at the revelation in front of her, even without rose colored glasses clouding everything she still felt betrayal sing high in her core. Closing her eyes, she accepted that she had failed, that she was poison and this was what she deserved for ruining so many people in her short lifetime. Now she realized how right she was but oh so wrong she was. He was never like the cactus he gave her; no, he was worse. With a cactus you knew it was dangerous, you knew the potential. But him, he was foxglove. He was enticing with his soft petals but his berries were secretly poisonous and like a stupid child attracted to their brightness she had eaten those berries. 

A searing heat passed by her cheek and she thought it was just his body heat until she heard the familiar soft scurry of someone landing on leaves. Opening her eyes, the iridescent blue flames slowly dwindled a mere inch from her face until they no longer obscured her vision. Searching for Toshinori she found him to her right far away from her where he had jumped away to avoid the surprise attack, his face was a mask of cold fury and he refused to look away from whatever was across from him. 

"I don't care what Stain said don't touch her or I'll kill you, worthy or not." A familiar voice threatened to her far left, turning her head slowly from fear teal met apple green. 

"I've missed you." Dabi voiced, his tone filled with regret and longing.


	39. Will of Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Five months and seven days into retirement.

“Dabi” She choked out, suddenly all of the adrenaline coursing through her veins wasn’t filled with the warmth of anger no it was cold, whether it was cold with fear she couldn’t tell. 

“I went by your apartment and all of your stuff was packed away in boxes. I thought I’d lost you.” He breathed out, the blatant relief on his face expressed how happy he was with finally finding her. 

Sakura’s mind whirled at the knowledge that he had not only found her apartment but had somehow gotten inside it undetected. All the what ifs suddenly shrieked in her mind at the thought of what if she had gone home instead of being forced to stay here. 

Leaves whirled in front of her obscuring her vision as a blur of white passed by her. Shielding her face Sakura begrudgingly looked away in fear of her eyes getting damaged. Opening them however she was met the white from before, now she noticed that white was Toshinori’s shirt. He stood in front of her blocking her sight of Dabi and most likely his sight of her in exchange. Even though she couldn’t see him she could feel the murderous aura emitting off of him. 

“I told you if you touched her, I would kill you!” Dabi growled in frustration at the third wheel in their reunion. 

Toshinori did not speak but she could feel the muscles of his back go rigid with a cold silent fury. His silence only seemed to egg on Dabi, it baited him and he took to greatly to the accidental bait. 

“Silence doesn’t affect me hero,” He laughed stressing the word hero, “I’m long used to silent violence and anger.” He taunted bitterly, something in his tone caused Sakura to double take and wonder why he sounded so personal in that moment. 

A strong hand with a too tight grip shook Sakura out of her trance, “I want you to run home and get Aizawa.” Toshinori calmly muttered to her while still facing Dabi. 

However, with his slight change in stance to grab and whisper to her she could see Dabi clearly now, and she saw his eyes narrow as they flickered between Toshinori’s hand on her wrist and her eyes. 

“Home? Eraser head is there?” He laughed slightly in a self-hating way, “Was I wrong? Did you replace me that easily? Then again you always loved him before this.” He finished as self-pity leaked from his voice as he stressed the word 'him'. 

Not wasting time Toshinori flung himself at Dabi trying to get a hand on the young villain somehow to restrain him. That beautiful blue hue spread out among the courtyard as he summoned his quirk in defense. 

Sakura’s feet moved on their own accord and before she knew it, they stopped just as fast on their own accord also. Her mind whirled at the thought of getting help. Even if she got Aizawa what would happen to her when Dabi was subdued? She didn’t think Toshinori would let her go so freely now. No, he had shown that he wouldn’t let her leave. Another sickening thought ran through her mind also, what would he do to Aizawa if she tried to tell him what was going on? Would he turn on their fellow hero? 

“Sakura, I told you to run!” Toshinori barked at her as he tried to grapple his opponent without touching his palms where icy hot fire could emit at any moment. 

“Why would she run from me? I love her.” Dabi spoke honestly as his eyes landed on Sakura’s distraught face. 

“Liar!” Toshinori growled as he let go of Dabi so he could swivel around to dodge a stray fire ball that silently began building in his opponent’s hand. 

“You never told anyone did you?” Dabi whispered more to himself than to her, “I thought you wouldn't tell the police or media but,” His voice broke off more towards the end as his eyes turned vulnerable. 

In his moment of misery Dabi failed to be quick enough to evade or even block the fist Toshinori aimed at his chest. In his failure Dabi was sent flying towards a leaf barren tree whose trunk splintered around his frame at the force of One for All. 

An angry Toshinori spun around to rush to Sakura and as his grip caught hold of her shoulders she winced at his strength, “I told you to go inside damn it!” He scolded her not worrying about the fallen Dabi behind them. 

Desperately trying to pull out of his grip to make sure Dabi was still slumped into the tree she felt her vision swim as he grabbed her face in one hand to refocus her face to look at his. 

“I told you to go inside Sakura!” He repeated with worry in his voice but it still was outshined by the annoyance inside. 

“No.” She heard someone declare and then she realized it was her that the voice belonged to. 

“Excuse me?” Toshinori exclaimed. 

“I said no.” Sakura declared with confidence, “No, I make my own decisions!” She finished as she stood her ground. 

“What is wrong with you? Do you want him to take you?” He screamed back in utter confusion. 

“I want my freedom!” She fired back, and there it was her spark. 

He could see it again, and anyone would be able to see it if they just simply looked at her. Her spark, her Will of Fire as she called it was back, and he loved it. He couldn’t help but admire what first caught his attention concerning her, he only just wished it wasn’t directed at him. 

“I knew you wouldn’t hide away from the world.” Dabi coughed from his dent in the tree across their new battlefield, it seemed he was still conscious and had caught on that she had her freedom revoked. 

Instead of accidentally directing his anger on her Toshinori stalked toward Dabi’s crumbled form as his fists clenched in a visibly painful way. 

“This is your fault.” He muttered low as he gripped Dabi’s shirt collar lifting him from his pitiful crater against the tree, Sakura cringed when she saw the way his left arm hung limply and awkwardly at his side lifelessly. It would never be the same no matter how much rehab he went through.

“If you hadn’t hurt her, violated her,” Toshinori growled out as he lifted Dabi higher until he slammed him against the trunk again causing him to audibly let all of the air out of his lungs, “Then none of this would have happened. Then she wouldn’t hate me.” He finished bitterly. 

“I didn’t mean to hurt her, I love her.” Dabi repeated like a broken record where the sound wobbled randomly, she couldn’t tell if his guilt had caused the wobble or the intense internal bleeding was. 

“Why,” Toshinori growled, “Do you keep saying that!” He sounded frustrated and possibly tired from the random surprise attack that had followed immediately after his breakdown with Sakura. 

She stared up at the broken man before her crushed between the splintering wood of a dead tree and Toshinori’s menacing form silently as she heard the occasional crunch of his bruised and bloody body against the pressure being used against him. He was finally at her mercy; he was being held accountable for his actions with no way out. He couldn’t slink away into his beloved shadows anymore; no, he was being held with his neck on the board of a guillotine awaiting his punishment. 

Sakura had wanted this hadn’t she? He took everything from her, he deserved this. Didn't he? He violated her, and tore everything she valued away from her. Her strength, her confidence, her power, her independence. He deserved this, for everything he took away from her. He caused all of this! 

“Drop him.” She spoke without any speck of emotion present in her voice, her eyes were over shadowed and hidden at their angle which didn't give any help either. 

“Sakura?” Toshinori called finally looking away from the broken man before him, he wondered if he had heard her correctly or if the stress of the day had finally caught up with him. 

She couldn't do it through; he had taken everything from her but her mercy she realized. She didn't want to be a monster; she didn't want to poison anyone else anymore including herself. She granted him mercy not for him but for herself, because she was better than an executioner. She was more than that. All she had left was her mercy, the one thing Naruto taught her. The one thing his smile wouldn't let her lose. She gave Dabi mercy even when he hadn't given her mercy. 

“Drop him I said!" She screamed at him now, it was such a conflict and sudden change from her subdued tone mere moments ago. 

“Why are you defending him!” He questioned loudly as his pressure on Dabi increased. 

“Because she loved me too once.” Dabi wheezed out as blood began to slowly ooze out from his mouth, it wasn’t clear if Dabi could even recover from his internal injuries if he escaped but even then she couldn’t do this. 

“Liar.” Toshinori spoke evenly as he brought one of his hands to Dabi’s throat and began to hold him up by his throat now instead of his collar. 

“I never loved him.” She responded honestly, “But we started out consensual.” She replied quietly as the shame emitted from her in waves. 

Her admission shook Toshinori to his core, suddenly his world spun as all of the weird holes in everyone’s theories of why this villain chose Sakura that day came clawing up in his mind again. Why had he chosen Sakura out of anyone else? Why a hero over a helpless civilian? Why broad daylight? Why out of nowhere? Just simply why? 

Because he was a spurned lover, she shattered his heart and he attacked her in his heart break. Toshinori felt himself increase his grip on the man before him, he heard a small voice in the back of his mind whisper ‘just as you are doing now’. Scenes of their falling out minutes ago rung out violently in his head. 

The look of despair and disappointment in her green eyes when he powered up One for All to use against her. The disgust in them over his exchange with Endeavor. All of her anger and pain. Why were her beautiful eyes so expressive, so clear with their emotions? Turning towards her he caught so many emotions in her gaze now; fear, panic, shame, disgust. Whether the disgust was at herself or him he couldn’t tell, and he didn’t know what answer would hurt more. 

In his confused self-hatred Toshinori increased his grip on the young man, no, the broken boy in front of him. He couldn’t think things like that right now, not with her so close to danger. But was she in danger? From who? Dabi? Herself? Him? 

“No.” A voice broke out shattering the tense silence that followed her confession. 

Wide green eyes snapped swiftly towards the familiar voice yet she could not speak because once she opened her mouth, she was silenced by a sickening crunch noise. 

Foggy and half glazed teal eyes stared at the number one hero above him and his only non-shattered unmoving arm now tried sluggishly in vain to claw at the hand that now threatened to crush his windpipe. 

“No, he deserves every ounce of violence that will be dealt.” Toshinori ground out as his fingers pressure increased on Dabi’s already damaged windpipe. 

“You don’t get to decide this!” Sakura growled as she pushed against his chest in vain, “It’s my choice! My pain!” The previous sorrow and hollowness in her chest sank and came back anew as a fury instead, how dare he choose for her! 

Toshinori ignored her pleas as he increased the pressure on the villain’s neck until they watched his eyes roll into the back of his head as his eyes soon closed after. There was no more audible wheezing and she wondered if his lungs had collapsed from the damage dealt earlier. 

“I gave him mercy damn it!” She yelled crazily as she tried shoving his chest repeatedly, he couldn’t do this. 

If he did this there was no more going back, he would never be able to return to who he was before his choice. She didn’t want to be poison anymore but if he did this there was no going back, there never would be damn it! 

Her words fell on deaf ears however as the sickening crushing noise continued to assault her ears. Dabi deserved this, he deserved worse for what he did to her but this wasn’t right. Instead of triumph or victory she felt her stomach lurch at Toshinori’s actions. He hurt her not Toshinori, he had no right to take vengeance in her stead, he had no right to take vengeance she didn’t want anymore. She didn’t want this. Maybe she never truly wanted this. 

“Stop you’ll kill him!” She pleaded, she almost laughed at how she was begging for her rapist’s life. At how twisted the situation was, she almost laughed but right now she was more focused on Toshinori who was killing him. 

“I need to do this for you!” He barked back as he grabbed her wrists in one hand forcing her to unintentionally watch Dabi become undone so close to her she could see up close and personal how his chest didn’t move anymore. 

Toshinori needed to do this, Dabi needed to feel the consequences of his actions. He needed to feel what she felt when she woke up crying in the middle of the night, what she felt when she held that dull light to her eyes. He needed to do this, because she didn’t know better. She needed this and just didn’t know it, is what he told himself as he kept increasing his pressure on the boy beneath his fingertips. 

“I hate you!” She screamed as her throat burned from the repeated pleas of fear that ripped from it. 

Her vines wrapped around that wrist that held her captive and the forearm that connected with the hand that squeezed the life out of Dabi, she was too consumed with her rage that she failed to notice the way his face fell at her biting comment. Momentarily forgotten in his despair his grip loosened causing her to effectively rip him off of her and Dabi. 

Her vines instinctively wound themselves around Dabi as the countless flower buds began to bloom and empty their healing dust onto his unbreathing form. If he wasn’t already dead, she could possibly save him. She could give him the mercy she had promised because it was her pain and her choice. 

“This is my pain, my burden, my scars. I decide how I heal; I choose how to live my life. Because I live for him, I carry on his light and his memory! I will live my way so that his sacrifice wasn’t in vain!” Sakura shrieked at Toshinori’s shocked form; she could visibly see how her vines fractured his arm’s bones with their monstrous strength yet her vines did not go to him like they would have in the past. 

One vine slithered away from Dabi’s crumpled form and rose to wind around her arm in anticipation for orders while the other stayed put exuding more and more dust as it buried Dabi alive in a hope it could heal him. She didn’t know if she would release him to the authorities or if she should release him in general. However, what she did do to him it would be her choice not anyone else's. 

“If you want him you have to go through me. I’m not anyone’s victim anymore, and I won’t stand on the side lines and watch others become victims either.” She spoke with confidence as her eyes shone with her Will of Fire. 

Yes, Dabi was a villain but he toed the line of victim in this specific situation when Toshinori had him detained and down for the count but instead of turning him into the authorities he kept hurting the man. Even monsters could become victims and even heroes could become monsters in return. 

“I won’t tell anyone what happened between us, you can keep your reputation and life as the number one hero but you’ve lost me and you need to let go.” 

“I can’t imagine a life without you anymore!” He pleaded in response to her speech. 

“You lived before you met me, do this if not for me then for the others in your life.” She tried to reason desperately, “What about your police friend, your mentor, or Izuku? What would happen to them if this came out? Would you be okay with losing them too?” 

His silence bothered her; she was letting him go without any repercussions yet he wouldn’t speak. She was giving him the ultimate mercy; he could return to his precious people and return to his life with them if he would just let her go. If he refused to let her go or Dabi either she was prepared to fight him and she knew that with his deteriorating health his quirk wouldn’t last long against her, not when she had sparred with him so many times for the students of UA. 

Not waiting for an answer she would never get her vines picked up Dabi and brought him to her arms where she held him bridal style as she began trekking towards the UA gates. She didn’t have to gaze down to know her quirk worked, she felt him breathe against her chest as she walked. 

The silent walk to the police station only took a mere ten minutes but her brain refused to entertain any thoughts during her eerily calm walk because her muscles took every ounce of conscious thought she had to force them to keep walking. 

When she got into the station the blinding artificial UV lights made her squint her eyes as her vines came up in an effort to block the offending light. Her mind and body was too exhausted to register the faces and voices that yelled out orders as they rushed around her. 

Who took a green dust covered and caked Dabi out of her arms she did not know. Whoever threw the blanket around her shoulders she couldn’t identify either. Everything was a flurry of color and subdued voices that sounded like she was underwater, it wasn’t long before she let the exhaustion take her with a smile. Yes a smile, because finally she was free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone, sorry for the delayed update I had finals for summer semester which I was struggling with and my fiance was getting ready to leave for the military so I was busy but I plan on updating frequently again. Believe it or not I wrote this all in one go and am already writing the next chapter. Thank you for your patience!


	40. Everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day of freedom.

Shooting up from the stiff bed the first thing she noticed was the strong smell of antiseptic that could only belong to hospitals assaulting her nose. She almost immediately realized that she was in the very same hospital as the day of the incident with Dabi and her fingers curled into the bed sheets as a way to ground herself with the knowledge that she was out of Toshinori’s apartment finally. 

The second thing she noticed was Enji in the seat next to her hospital bed just an arm's length away from her spot on the bed. He watched her withholding his breath because he feared what would happen if he reached out to her, and honestly the last time they had been in this situation she recoiled from him into her bed and that moment replayed inside his mind as a cruel reminder. But most importantly he feared what she would feel since he told her he would stay away until she reached out to him first. 

But that was exactly what she did, without a second thought she reached for him taking hold of his hand before pulling with her immense strength to force him to join her on the bed. She couldn’t reject him again like she had that day in her hospital room, she just simply couldn’t again. She cuddled closer into his chest thankful for once he didn’t take her advice and had come to her instead of waiting for her. 

But how could he have waited; the police station chief called his household in the dead of the night after they couldn’t reach All Might to question why she wasn’t in his apartment in the UA teacher dorm building or for any of the other questions raging around the precinct. It was his youngest son that had answered the call since recently Shoto had not been sleeping well for the past three weeks however once his son ran into his room shouting about the call, he immediately got up to come to her. 

“You came.” She breathed out as her eyes began to sting with tears that threatened to fall. 

“I told you if you ever needed me, I would be there.” Enji responded softly into her messy hair, she had been transported here just in case right after she fainted from exhaustion at the police station’s front room so it was still caked in her green vine dust but he did not care. 

“I love you.” She murmured into his chest as her arms tightened around his broad middle. 

“I love you too Sakura.” He responded quietly as if he was too loud, he’d wake himself from this dream he was in. 

“I want to tell you everything; why Dabi attacked me in the first place, why I stayed in Toshinori’s apartment, how I escaped with a barely breathing Dabi, everything.” She told him as she lifted her head to look into his calm teal eyes, god how she had missed his eyes. 

“Sakura,” Enji started as he raised a hand towards her cheek, “You don’t have to tell me anything you aren’t ready to, nobody owes anybody anything in this world.” He finished as his hand cupped her cheek softly as if he’d break her if he wasn’t too careful. 

“I want to.” Sakura retorted back desperately as she looked into his eyes, they had been so impatient when they first met but now, they held such patience for her that it still took her breath away. 

“But are you ready?” He questioned again trying to make sure she wouldn’t break down in his arms because she wanted to tell him everything on her mind. 

“No,” The words were so simple but held such emotion in them, “But I want to anyway.” She finished putting her foot down, she would never be ready to truly talk about any of this without crying for a while but she wanted to talk about it because it meant it all happened and she won. 

She won, she took back her freedom and found her Will of Fire again. But most importantly she found that she still had mercy inside her which meant no matter what happened there was still good inside her heart. She still held that light Naruto had given her and she had not lost it, she would never truly lose him if she still held her mercy in her heart. 

So, she told him everything. How she started out consensual with Dabi because she was lonely and afraid that she would never be with Enji so she took solace in his intimacy he offered. How she lied that day about how an attacker got her and roughed her up because the truth was that it was Dabi and their first of many encounters. 

She saw the hurt in his eyes at the fact that she had lied to his face that night when he was worried about how a villain had supposedly attacked her, and she knew he felt hurt at the fact that it wasn’t only one time but many times she lied right to his face about what she was secretly doing. 

She told him why she chose Toshinori’s guardianship over his and how eventually he made it so she couldn’t leave because he moved her belongings out of her apartment without her permission. Of how he secluded and isolated her over time but she was too blind to see the signs or perhaps she didn’t want to see the signs right in front of her. 

Finally, she told him of how she slept with Toshinori and accepted her new fate with him until she found and confronted him about hiding Enji’s letter. She saw him visibly tense at the omission that she had slept with his rival and she saw him try to cover the pain in his eyes he felt at the thought she had tried to move on so soon but there was no disgust in his eyes or anger though, she could see he was trying desperately to listen and not interrupt her because she needed this so she continued. 

She recounted everything about her fight with Toshinori and how Dabi had intercepted them when Toshinori tried to force her back into the apartment. How he broke his promise of not using his quirk against her. How in the end Toshinori had truly lost it and actively tried to torturously kill Dabi slowly even after she granted him her mercy. Of using her quirk on him to escape with a barely breathing Dabi in her arms. 

She told him everything she could and in the end he was still there with her in that small hospital room, even after everything.


End file.
